First Impressions
by ghostwriter4836
Summary: Millionaire son, Takaba Akihito, gets a new bodyguard, one Asami Ryuichi. Can he keep Takaba safe and what happens when Takaba defies him? Will they be able to work together? *WARNING* Rated M for a reason people. Haapy reading and enjoy.
1. First Impressions 1

**I do not own Viewfinder, just borrowing the characters.**

Takaba Akihito came bursting through the door of the mansion where he and his father live. It is a lot quieter than when his mother was alive. Now, with it only being he and his father, who is mostly away on business, the big house is usually silent and cold.

At the age of twenty-three, Takaba should really get a place of his own but that would leave his father alone so that idea was out of the question. He did support himself though, by being a freelance photographer. He did jobs ranging from weddings and private parties to political events and criminal photography in which he gets his intel from a couple of cops.

Having just returned from a photo shoot, he bounded into the house for a night of relaxation with the X-box. Unfortunately, that idea was short lived.

"Takaba, that you? Come into my office we need to talk," his father yelled through the open door.

_Oh shit_, thought Takaba, it was never a good thing when his father said they needed to "talk".

He rounded the doorway and moseyed into the office to flop into the chair opposite his father's desk. By all appearances, his father, Haruto, seemed relaxed but his piercing gaze was something he could not hide from his son.

"Takaba," he said but Takaba was distracted when he heard the door behind him shut and glanced over his shoulder to see a tall, suited man now standing in front of the only exit.

Takaba shivered slightly where he sat because the man's golden eyes and down right dangerous demeanor was a bit frightening.

Being whom he was though, Takaba said arrogantly, "Who the hell is this." All the while his wide hazel eyes took in the dangerous menacing man before him.

"Takaba," his father said sternly. "After the _incident_ last week, I have hired additional security. This man is your new personal bodyguard along with a driver and one other man."

"What! No way! Are you kidding me?" Takaba argued, his hazel eyes narrowing at his father.

"Akihito!" his father said in a tone that was non-negotiable. "You need protection."

"I got away. I do not need a babysitter," Takaba said and made for the door only to be blocked by the large dark man.

"Get out of my way," Takaba sneered but the man's intimidating and down-right scary expression remained firm and he did not budge. There was a slight amount of fear in Takaba's eyes but even more determination.

"Your father is speaking to you," came the smooth, yet demanding baritone voice, which made Takaba shiver again. It did not go unnoticed by Asami.

Takaba was furious with rage at his father for taking action like this and not informing him. Sure, he was almost kidnapped and worse yet raped by the asshole that tried to blackmail his father, but Akihito would never tell his father that the asshole had touched him.

The knowledge that the disgruntled man had raped him would kill his father. It was bad enough that the man thought he could blackmail Takaba's father by ransoming him.

Luckily, the guy let his guard down and that gave Takaba the opportunity to run. He dodged the two guards at the hotel just outside the door to the room and flew down the stairs to escape.

Takaba never shared that part of his kidnapping with his father or anyone else but he would live with the reminder everyday. It was only for Takaba, at night, when the nightmares came but luckily, his father's bedroom was on the other side of the house so Takaba's screams did not wake him.

"How can you expect me to do my job if I am surrounded by babysitters all the time, especially my criminal jobs?" Takaba argued angrily. He glared at his father with determination and defiance written all over his face. As well as his stiff stance he took while looking down at the man seated behind the desk.

"Well, for the time being, you should be cautious of what jobs you hire out for." Haruto spoke casually.

Takaba shook his head quickly, "Oh no, you are not going to dictate which jobs I do." Takaba reinforced.

His father sighed as he watched his son go back over towards the door and cross his arms over his chest. Takaba glared at the man blocking his escape from the entire ridiculous conversation.

"Takaba, this is Asami Ryuichi." Haruto said.

"So," Takaba replied.

Then Haruto nodded to Asami, giving him permission to move out of the kid's way.

Asami moved over two steps and Takaba bolted out the door.

"Asami, he is going to be quite a lot of work. Are you up for it?" Haruto asked tiredly, expecting Asami to decline the offer as others had before him.

"I am more than capable, Takaba-san." Asami replied, still holding his poker face in check, though he was anything but calm at the moment.

That kid, that brat, radiated some powerful vibes. By that one encounter, Asami could tell that Takaba would never yield willingly but it would be highly amusing playing this little game of _who was in charge_. Of course, Asami already knew the answer to that question, whether Takaba Akihito wanted to face it or not.

He would do his duty to protect the kid no matter what the kid thought. Let him try to but heads with Asami because Asami was confident that Takaba would lose.

Yes, the kid would defy him at every turn and so be it. Asami would allow him just enough give on his new invisible leash but reel it in if the situation warranted it.

Asami smirked, "Have no worries, Takaba-san. Your son is safe as long as I am watching over him."

"Thank you Asami. I will feel better knowing he is in your capable hands when I am away. Unfortunately, I have to leave the day after tomorrow for a business trip overseas to Thailand. I will be gone for two weeks. I give you leave to do whatever you feel necessary to protect him." Haruto shook his head, "My son does not always use the best judgment and he seems to think he is invincible."

"Nothing to worry about. Nothing will happen to him." The intense golden eyes were the only sign of emotion that showed Haruto that Asami was confident and that his words were absolute truth.

Even Haruto was afraid of the dark man standing before him. Haruto nodded and Asami left the office heading in the direction of the kid's bedroom that he had been shown during his tour earlier in the day. First though, he had to make a call. He did so from behind the closed door to his bedroom across the hall from the room where Takaba was currently taking refuge.


	2. Haruto's Secrets

Haruto rubbed his forehead willing away the onset of the headache he was sure to have. In front of him, lying on his desk was the newspaper from earlier in the week. Though his successful business ventures had not hit the paper, his son's kidnapping had. They had no photos of the incident but the story had said Akihito had been kidnapped by someone who had planned to ransom him back to his father for a rather sizable amount and that Akihito had escaped.

It had to have been leaked by one of the two guards that he fired over the fiasco. In doing so he had to show that he stepped up the security on his son. He wondered now, however, if he had gone too far by hiring Asami's company.

Next to the paper was a document. It was on ordinary legal paper with ordinary font, yet the contents were not at all ordinary. No, the words were compelling and Haruto suddenly found himself reminiscing about how he had gotten himself into this mess in the first place and how he was going to get out of it.

_I know about your dealings in Thailand. I can expose you. _

There was nothing else written on the paper and no fingerprints. He had his security team, those who knew about Thailand, check for fingerprints, hairs, anything that might be a clue as to who was behind the threat. The investigation revealed nothing useful. _Who is doing this? What do they want from me?_

Just then his mobile phone started vibrating so when he pulled it out and looked at it, he paused. The screen said 'private'.

Cautiously, he hit the green button and said, "Hello."

"Takaba Haruto?" The voice was low, quiet. It was an American.

"Speaking. Who is this?" Haruto was not in the mood for games.

"You will know me soon enough. Right now just consider me a buyer and I _know_ you are a seller. I would like merchandise. You know what I am talking about, special merchandise that I can sink my teeth and my…let's just say _self_ into."

"I don't know what you are referring to, sir," Haruto said.

"Yes you do. I assume you received my little note?" The voice said humorlessly.

Haruto's grasp on his phone tightened. The bastard! He had the audacity to call directly. Haruto signaled his security man, Carlson, to track the call quickly. Carlson rushed off to the monitoring room in all haste.

Being a billionaire, president of several companies, and famous face in the public eye, Haruto had an outstanding security team. He was even under the impression that his son's security team was well qualified, but that was before the kidnapping.

"What do you want?" Haruto asked.

"I told you, merchandise. How much?" the voice said irritably.

Haruto knew that if he upset the guy that the guy might hang up so he decided to play along. Maybe he could set a trap for the guy to catch him. Haruto did not show mercy to blackmailers or kidnappers.

"That all depends on quality. As of right now I have no merchandise until I go out of town to Thailand the day after tomorrow." Haruto explained.

"Oh but you are wrong, Haruto. You _do_ have merchandise, expensive merchandise but because I can expose you and take you down with the evidence I have on you, I will get my merchandise for free."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Haruto was frustrated by the man's words. The shipment was to be checked next week and then delivered to America.

"I sampled your merchandise last week." The man began but was quickly cut off.

"What?" Haruto yelled.

"Such a nice round piece of delectable virgin ass, wouldn't you say? The voice laughed wickedly.

"What are you talking about?" Haruto asked through gritted teeth but he had an inkling as to what the man's response was going to be and his heart started pounding furiously.

"Though he screamed a lot but I could always gag him," the man said as if reminiscing of the event.

"You," Haruto whispered shockingly, "You're the one who kidnapped Akihito."

"Yes, and if you don't want me to deliver my little stack of photos and shipping invoices to the authorities, you will pay me in the form of one Takaba Akihito. Otherwise, I take you down."

Haruto was seething with anger at the stranger on the other end of the phone but was quick to action when Carlson opened the office door and nodded. They got the location. Haruto waved him off to go find the guy.

"I…I cannot give you what you want. Anything, anything else I can do." Haruto said shakenly.

There was no way he could give his boy away just to protect himself. No, he needed a plan and fast. He had no idea who the guy was, what connections he had, or if he could buy some time. That is what he needed, time.

"Shame that you will only see your son through bars then because you will spend the rest of your life in jail, if not killed." The man insisted.

"Wait, just wait. Give me some time. I have to go to Thailand for two weeks. Just wait until I get back. What you ask…is a difficult thing…for any father…please," Haruto knew he sounded like a fool, begging for his son but he had no choice.

"Two weeks, I will send you instructions at a later date. If you try anything funny I will know about it. I am keeping my eye on you and on Akihito. If he disappears I will know about it and I will find him, then you are both screwed! Understood?" The man said confidently.

"I…I understand." Haruto said, a defeated man.

"Good, I'll be in touch."

The phone went dead and Haruto sighed. Shit, what kind of mess did he get himself into. He didn't even want to have the Thailand business but he had no choice.

It all started when he was in Japan and his wife fell ill. So he had gone to a wealthy influential man for help, a man he thought was his friend. But his friend, Motohara was connected with the underworld and strongly suggested, at gun point, that Haruto work for him. But Haruto had invested the money from Motohara, bought some profitable businesses, and paid Motohara back.

That was the reason for the move to America, to get away from the Motohara's underworld boss. But not long after the move Motohara contacted him. Apparently his boss needed a connection in America for his human trafficking business.

He and Akihito's lives were threatened so Haruto agreed to do what they asked. He had no idea that it would all escalate to the events of today.

_What am I going to do?_


	3. First Impressions 3

Aki, as his friends called him, was lying on his bed with his hands behind his head, still furious with his father for hiring a babysitter for him. _Damn it, I am twenty-three years old. I don't need a freaking babysitter._

He had successfully escaped his captor, even if a bit late. He was into criminal photography so he had many jobs, which resulted in him running for his life from bad guys he was capturing in his viewfinder. But even to take those jobs he had to outrun and out maneuver his previous guards. So be it! He could outrun this bastard too.

_KNOCK, KNOCK_

"Leave me alone, I'm busy." Aki called to the person on the other side of the door.

"Takaba-kun, your father requested you to go to his office. He needs to speak with you." Asami said through the door.

_The bastard is in America he did not need to use formal Japanese language, _Aki thought irritably.

"You're his new friend. You go talk to him!" Aki shouted and closed his eyes. _That will show the smug bastard._

_BANG, BANG_

Aki sat up abruptly, seeing his door swing open minus the handle and lock that had just been blown off by Asami's gun.

"What the hell, bastard! You shot my door!" Aki yelled, eyes wide with shock at what Asami had the audacity to do.

"I said, your father requested that I take you to him." Asami's voice was smooth but low and stern, his golden eyes daring Aki to defy him.

Of course, Aki was not one to back down to anyone, gun or not, so he lowered his chin but his eyes remained locked with Asami's and they were lit with fire.

"I am not going." Aki said firmly.

His breath hitched when the tall dark man in the perfectly pressed suit, slowly inched towards him, like a lion slowly creeping up on his unsuspecting prey.

Aki, the wildcat, however, sensed that Asami might physically take him to his father so he suddenly jumped off the bed, darted around Asami, and out the door.

Asami smirked, his eyes glowing with intrigue and admiration, surprisingly not anger. That was odd for him, though he assumed it was due to the fact that Takaba would not get very far. He casually turned around, holstered his gun, and stepped out into the hallway.

Aki ran for all he was worth as soon as he cleared the door and _SMACK_ into a brick wall causing him to fall flat on his ass. Taking up most of the hallway was a huge gorilla in a suit. The man chuckled at Aki's futile efforts to escape Asami. Then the man's eyes looked up over his head.

_Don't turn around,_ Aki told himself. He already suspected the smirk that he would surely see from the bastard.

Aki stood up and turned around. He couldn't even take his own advice to save face. He glared at Asami and the amused expression staring back at him.

"You cannot tell me what to do, bastard!" Aki hissed.

"You, Akihito," Asami said, his voice quiet but deadly, "are under my protection and care. What I say goes. You will do well to remember that."

The tone in Asami's voice made Aki's whole body tremble, or was it the icy cold glare Asami gave him, he was not sure which? The man radiated power and confidence.

For a moment, Aki was rooted where he stood, unable to move, unable to take break the stare between them. That was until another voice broke the silent stand off.

"Takaba," Haruto said sternly from behind the giant.

Aki turned, raised his eyebrows as the gorilla blocking his path, and said, "Do you mind?"

"Takaba-kun," Asami said, "This is Suoh. He is part of my team."

"Great," Aki mocked, "I've always been fond of gorillas."

Asami and Suoh chuckled at Aki's remark while he rolled his eyes at them then addressed his father.

"What do we need to talk about now," Aki said irritatedly.

Haruto was quiet. In fact, he was rather angry about something if his expression was any indication. Aki swore he saw smoke spiraling up from his father's ears. _What now,_ Aki wondered to himself.

"Akihito," Haruto said as if he were scolding a five-year-old child. "The kidnapping, is there anything you might have forgotten when we discussed what happened?"

"Nope, nothing," Aki said quickly with a blank face.

"Are you sure?" Haruto pushed on.

"Yep." Aki answered.

"Akihito," Haruto said, his tone and expression turning heavy with disappointment. "You will not dishonor this family by lying to my face."

Aki rubbed the back of his neck and with an innocent expression said, "I don't know what you mean?"

"Akihito," his father snapped then gazed hard at his son, "Did he…did he touch you?" Haruto's voice faded as he spoke, barely able to say the words with the bile rising in his throat.

Aki glanced at Asami and Suoh, then turned back to his father and hung his head. Suddenly, he bolted around his father and slid down the banister of the staircase and ran out the door without even shutting it behind him.

Haruto sighed, "Asami, I need to speak with you."

"Of course, sir," he said and gave a nod to Suoh who nodded back and headed in the direction of the open door.

Even though Aki had taken off on his motorcycle, Suoh made one call to Kirishima, back at the office and immediately had the little red dot on his phone.

It was late afternoon so Aki rode around for a while before going to Kou's house. He couldn't very well show up at his friend's house with tears streaming down his cheeks, it was hard enough trying to see the road on his bike.

He finally pulled over at the edge of the city and tore off his bike glasses to wipe his eyes. He couldn't do it, he could not admit to his father what that kidnapper had done to him. He just wanted to forget about it but it constantly plagued his mind. He had been trying to protect his father by not telling him.

Aki was a man after all and his father still treated him like a child. Even his work was childish in his father's eyes. But to have his father know that he had been raped, _humiliated_, by the asshole that kidnapped him was too much. He had tried so hard to prove to his father that he was an adult with a steady job and aspirations for his future but now, all his father would see is a helpless child.

Asami, the bastard, was the same way. And all Aki did was confirm it by running out of the house like a child. Well, he would show them, both of them that he could take care of himself and that he didn't need either one of them _protecting_ him.


	4. First Impressions 4

"Well, how it is going?" Asami spoke into his phone to Suoh.

"He is still inside his friend's apartment." Suoh responded.

Asami gazed at his watch, ten thirty at night. Was the kid going to stay there tonight? Asami could not imagine why Takaba would stay so long. He showed up before dark.

"Suoh, check on him. I'll hold." Asami replied.

"Yes sir."

"Kou, someone's at the door," Aki yelled at his friend who was getting them each another cold beer. They had not been drinking long however, because they had to be sober to compete against one another in a play station snowboard game that took a few hours.

"Okay," Kou said when the knock came again, harder this time. He dropped off the beer at the coffee table and headed to the door.

"Oh my God," Kou said obviously stunned by the huge man engulfing the doorway.

"Who is it, Kou?" Aki giggled as he took another drink of his fourth beer and then turned his head to find the reason for Kou's shocked voice.

As soon as Aki saw Suoh he rolled his eyes. Then he stood up from his perch on the floor, only to stagger due to his alcohol soaked brain.

"Shit!" Aki laughed as he tripped on the game console cord nearly falling.

"He is drunk sir," Aki heard Suoh say into his phone.

"Give me that," Aki said yanking the phone from Suoh before he had time to react.

"Sir, is it? I am not drunk and I don't need a babysitter so call off your oversize gorilla!" Aki shouted into the phone, his words a bit slurred.

"Suoh will drive you home Takaba," Asami's voice was low, even.

"I am twenty three years old, bastard! I will come home when I am ready. You can't give me a curfew." Aki shouted.

"Takaba, you can stay as long as you like but Suoh _will_ drive you home. You will not get on that motorcycle drunk." Asami replied in that deadly even tone of his.

"Whatever bastard!" Aki shoved the phone back to Suoh.

Then as he turned to make his way back to the living room he said to Suoh, "You might as well have a seat. It's going to be a while."

Kou sat down on the floor next to Aki and they leaned back against the couch, grabbing their controllers. They continued to play while Suoh sat at the kitchen table.

Kou was use to Aki having guards so it didn't phase him that Suoh was there. What did make him wonder though, was who Suoh was?

"So Aki, is that a new guy?" Kou leaned close to whisper.

"Yeah, but Kou you don't have to whisper. I could care less if they hear us, bunch of goons." Aki said loud enough for Suoh to hear.

"Yeah, but that one is kind of scary. They've never been scary before." Kou said concerned.

Aki shrugged, "just think of him as a big teddy bear," he said and smiled mockingly at Suoh.

Suoh watched as the two young men drank, laughed, screamed at the TV, and stumbled around the apartment. They were so wasted that they could not keep their snowboarding guys from running into signs or off cliffs and that only made them laugh more.

After three more beers, Aki could not even stand up without Suoh's help. Kou was all but passed out on the couch mumbling something incoherent that resembled a goodbye.

In the Escalade, Aki leaned up between the seats to talk to Suoh while he drove.

"Hey, gorilla guy, do you think Asami is mad at me?"

"People do not cross the boss. You would do well to remember that." Suoh said without emotion.

"He sounded pissed off on the phone." Aki replied.

Then Aki sat back and started crying. Suoh had to look in the rearview mirror because he didn't want to believe it. He hated kids who couldn't hold their liquor. One minute they are mad and the next, crying, then happy.

"I walked out on my dad." Aki slurred and sniffled, "I let him down I could see it in his expression. He's going to be so mad at me for lying to him and running out on him."

"I'm sure Asami-sama took care of it." Suoh said casually.

"Do you think so?" Aki perked up, his eyes sparkling with hope.

"Yes, Takaba-kun."

When the door opened, Asami watched Suoh walk in with one drunk Takaba Akihito thrown over his shoulder. As they made their way past Asami's raised brow, Aki smiled and waved.

"Happy now," he said, "I got a ride." Aki said giggling all the way up the stairs.

Suoh tossed him on his bed and turned to Asami with a disgruntled look.

Asami just smirked, _this kid is quite amusing,_ he thought.

"That will be all Suoh. I'll take care of the rest." Asami said.

After Suoh exited the room and shut the door, Asami turned to Takaba who looked like he could pass out any second. His eyes were half closed and he was lying flat on the bed with his limbs stretched out.

Asami proceeded to start taking off Aki's shoes and socks when the atmosphere of the room suddenly changed and Aki started blindly swatting Asami's hands away.

"No, stop." Aki insisted, but Asami ignored the young man's futile protests as he removed the second shoe and sock.

"Please, stop….don't touch…me," Aki was suddenly begging and his wide eyed look gave away his fear.

Aki was too drunk to comprehend reality, all his thoughts were jumbled and he thought he was back with the kidnapper on that night.

"Please…don't hurt me…again," he begged and the tears started flowing down his cheeks.

"Takaba," Asami said sternly, "You are safe."

But when Asami's hands found his belt, then the zipper on his jeans, Takaba started thrashing about on the bed. The kid was fighting for all he was worth.

"Let me go…stop it!" Aki yelled.

Asami remained calm and moved over Takaba, pressing the weight of his body onto the younger man's to stop his movements.

"Takaba," he said again and supped Takaba's head in his hands to force the younger man to look at him, eye to eye. His body covered the entire length of Aki's to keep him trapped beneath him.

"Look at me," Asami demanded, "Akihito, look at me, only at me."

Aki shook his head with his eyes squeezed shut, "No, no, no, no, no…" he ranted but Asami tightened his grip on Aki's head and crushed his mouth to Aki's to shut him up.

He fought against the kiss at first while his muffled protests went unheard. Asami took the opportunity to push his tongue past Aki's teeth to delve into his mouth.

As the intruding tongue explored and tasted Aki's mouth, he could taste cigarettes with whisky from the older man. It was a sweet taste that made his senses come to life. His mind was taking in the musky scent of the man on top of him. Sandalwood cologne and a slight coconut smell filled the immediate air around Aki. His body relaxed of its own accord while the assault on his mouth continued.

When Asami broke the kiss, both gasping for air, Aki's head was immobile so he had no choice but to look at Asami. His eyes met the glowing golden ones above him. Those golden orbs were mesmerizing and Aki was lost in them.

The kiss had clamed him down if his expression was any indication. His eyes were glazed and half closed. His wet lips were glistening and his head tilted slightly to the side. The sultry wanton look in his hazel eyes and the blush of embarrassment coloring his cheeks made for quite a seductive sight. In that moment Aki was at his utmost vulnerability.

Asami's cock twitched in response to the delicious feast slayed out before him. Takaba had no idea that his expression was begging Asami to fuck him.

But reality hit all too soon and like a bomb going off, Takaba's face changed. His eyes widened and his brows dipped in the middle. _There it is, _Asami thought,_ that glare of anger, eyes lit up in defiance._

"What the…you…you kissed me." Aki said, shocked. Then he wiped his mouth off with his arm, "I'm a _guy_…we're _both_ guys," he hissed.

Aki could not believe that another man had just kissed him. It was bad enough that another man had raped him but this, now, confused and irritated him.

Of course, Aki was not immune to guys, though he preferred to think of himself as straight. There were only a few BL (boy's love) magazines mixed in with his playboys after all and girls were always fawning all over him at the club when he, Kou, and Takato went out.

He would dance dirty, grinding with the girls, never once considering a dance with a guy. Then again, he never took the girls up on their offers to sleep with him. They would kiss and make out a little on the dance floor but that was the extent of it.

He was not interested in guys. Why his body betrayed him during that kiss was something foreign to him. During his rape he felt nothing for the man other than anger and humiliation, aside from the excruciating pain.

"And?" Asami asked.

"And…and that's…LET ME GO!" Aki shouted.

Asami had known by Aki's performance in front of his father that the kid had in fact been raped but his responses to Asami's undressing him confirmed it. Not only that, they showed that he was affected by it far more than he was letting on. To think that someone had touched Takaba at all was filling Asami with rage beyond his own comprehension. Now the question was, how to make Takaba's pain go away?


	5. First Impressions 5

**Hope you all are enjoying a different beginning for our two guys. Please let me know what you think. Your opinion is very important to me and it helps to motivate as well as give me insight on what questions you are looking for answers to within the content. Thanks so much to those who have reviewed.**

Asami knew that Takaba would not be a willing participant so he wasted no time in pulling off his tie and binding Takaba's wrists together before shoving the younger man's tank up to expose his taut nipples. He devoured them, feasting on first one and then the other. At the same time he felt Takaba's bound hands fist in his hair.

Takaba's mind was spinning as he pulled Asami's mouth against him, yet still squirmed and struggled to get free. _  
_

"A...Asa...mi," He whimpered, "Stop...please."

"Hah…." Takaba gasped when Asami's hand pressed over the bulge in his pants. A confirmation of the betrayal of his own body even while his mind protested. With Asami's mouth still teasing his nipples, he didn't feel Asami lower the zipper of his jeans.

Suddenly, Asami pulled away and flipped Takaba over as if he weighed nothing. In one swift movement, Asami yanked Takaba's jeans and boxers down and pushed his knees up under him so his ass was naked and up in the air.

Takaba squeezed his eyes shut, chanting over and over, "No, no, no, no, no."

"Yes Akihito, you will feel what only I can give you," Asami growled.

Then he reached around to coat his fingers in Takaba's precum before sliding one inside the tight hole. Then he added a second and before long, the third. He scissored Takaba, stretching him.

"Ngh…." Takaba moaned.

Takaba had no idea how erotic and sexy he looked with his ass in the air, sucking in Asami's fingers while his hair hung just above his half lidded eyes, eyes that were glazed over and filled with desire even if it was unwanted. The way Takaba's pale skin took on the pink hue of blush only made Asami want to take him even more, and he would. He would take everything Takaba didn't want to give, and more.

Suddenly empty, Takaba's whimper echoed through out the room but Asami was so hard and starting to sweat from the raw lust he _would _satisfy. He quickly pulled himself free of the confines of his suit pants and boxer briefs and spread Takaba's flesh to expose his entrance.

"Mmm….what a beautiful sight," Asami coaxed in his smooth baritone voice and gave a quick lick to Takaba's hole before positioning his hard cock for penetration.

In one fluid movement, Asami pushed past the tight ring of muscle and sheathed his entire length inside Takaba with a grunt. The younger man was tight and hot, muscles clenching around his hard length.

"AHHH…._shit…._stop, it….it hurts…." Takaba hissed as he fought the tears that sprang to his eyes. His hands were fisted in the comforter and he buried his face into the bed, but could not block out the pain searing up his spine. He felt like he was being torn apart by the huge hard cock filling him beyond his limits.

Takaba's body shook and the tears fell from his eyes as Asami immediately began thrusting into him, over and over again. Asami gave it to him fast and hard.

When he reached around to grasp Takaba's rock hard cock, he could tell that the pain was turning to pleasure for the younger man. The screams turned to inaudible moans and Takaba instinctively pressed his hips toward Asami's hand.

Asami pounded Takaba's ass while stroking him. His own throbbing need to possess the younger man spurring him on.

"A….Asa….mi…I'm going to….Ahhh!" Takaba cried out through his sobs.

"Feel it Akihito!" Asami's voice was low and demanding, "Feel all of the pain and the pleasure I give you. You know you want it, need it."

The sensations rapidly took over Takaba's body, his mind went blank as he exploded, riding the waves of his orgasm and causing him to clench around Asami. Three more quick thrusts and Asami spilled inside Takaba's hot ass with a grunt.

Takaba's entire body quivered in the aftermath and a small moan was heard when Asami pulled out but other than that, there was no sound.

Takaba had past out from the experience. Asami smirked as he stared down at the sleeping young man. A light sheen of sweat matting his hair to his head and his innocent expression gave Asami pause.

"I will take those haunting memories away, Akihito."

Asami wanted Takaba to only think of him and forget the asshole that raped him. If said man had walked in right then, Asami would have filled him with lead. No one would ever possess Takaba's body but him, Asami Ryuichi.

Asami cleaned them both up before settling Takaba under the covers and leaving the young man to sleep. Of course, when Takaba woke up, Asami was sure he would be a hellcat to deal with.

Asami strode across the hall to his room, nodding at Akira, who had the nightshift, as he passed. If Akira heard anything, he wasn't about to call his boss on it.

Asami went straight to the bathroom and stripped. As he stood under the hot shower, allowing it to ease the tension in his muscles, he thought of his sleeping kitten. There was so much going on just underneath the surface of Takaba.

The wildcat in him was ferocious and hated the idea that he had to be watched 24/7 like a caged animal. He will definitely defy and protest that at all costs.

Then there was his vulnerable part, the part that undoubtedly begged his kidnapper not to rape him. The same part of him that would not allow him to lie to his father but run instead, to continue to hide the painful truth of what happened to him that night, just over a week ago.

All of his parts that make Takaba who he is, drew Asami in but most recently was his passion. Though Takaba would deny it until he was blue in the face, his body craved the touch of a man. In the future, the very near future, Takaba would come to realize that there was only one man allowed to touch him, possess him, and that man is Asami. Takaba's denial, protests, and adorable heated responses tugged at some deep part of Asami that he was not willing to face yet.

Haruto had put Asami in charge of Takaba and he equated that to being the same as owning Takaba. He took Takaba tonight to distract the younger man from his frightening memories and he would do it again if that was what Takaba needed.

After toweling off, Asami put on his robe and opened his laptop. There had to be some clue to the kidnapper's identity. The guy and two goons had pulled Takaba right off the sidewalk and into a van. They had taken him to a hotel but had used aliases and paid cash. The cameras in the hotel were worthless. Most didn't work and the couple that did showed nothing.

After talking to Haruto earlier, Asami joined forces with the older man's security team to try to get evidence on who the man on the phone was. By the time the security had gotten to where the tracker had led them, no one was there. It was a little coffee house but when questioned, no one remembered what the guy had looked like.

Haruto was scheduled to leave the next day and that limited the time he had to find the man before the alleged exchange would take place.

There was no way in hell that Asami was going to turn Takaba over to that man regardless of what consequences Haruto faced. No, Asami _would _find out who the kidnapper, rapist, buyer was and he would kill him, slowly and painfully.


	6. First Impressions 6

**Thanks to all of you who reviewed. There were some good ideas posted. Also to "Guest" I have found that I am mixing tenses and I think that is due to writing another story in the first person, present as well as writing this. It is hard to switch back and forth but I am rereading more now before posting to catch my errors. Hope I can do the characters justice. Happy reading and enjoy.**

Takaba stood in his bathroom, staring at himself in the mirror. If he closed his eyes, he could almost feel Asami's touch all over again. His mind and body were at odds with one another. While his body responded, practically begging, for Asami's ministrations, his mind screamed that it was wrong.

They were both men after all and two men should not do _that._ Asami had taken him just like the kidnapper. He was no better than the other man. Takaba felt violated and angry that he had been taken advantage of yet again, but at the same time confused by the fact that his body responded to Asami when it didn't to the kidnapper's touch.

He took a long hot shower, standing under the water wondering how he was going to face Asami after what happened between them. Obviously, Asami didn't think much of him to treat him in such a way and that hurt Takaba's pride.

_Well that perverted bastard has another thing coming if he thinks I will let him do whatever he wants. No way! I will never yield. I will show him just how much of a man I am._

Takaba came out of his room without so much as a glance in Suoh's direction. When he entered the dining room downstairs, there sat his father, Asami, and some other guy with glasses.

He completely ignored them and went to the kitchen to get a glass of orange juice and some cereal. He just loved Lucky Charms with the sugary little marshmallow pieces.

"Takaba," Haruto said, "Come sit down."

Takaba sighed, the last thing he wanted to do was sit at the same table as Asami. Reluctantly, he came over and sat at the far end of the table from Asami.

Haruto, being oblivious to the tension in the room, said, "Son, I am leaving shortly. Listen to Asami and his men they are here to protect you."

Takaba said sarcastically, "Yeah sure, protect me."

Takaba kept his head down and did not once look in the older man's direction. After he ate his cereal, he left the gentlemen and headed to the living room.

Kirishima left shortly after Haruto left for his trip to Thailand. Takaba was sitting on the end of the L shaped white couch flipping through channels when Asami strolled up toward him.

Takaba shifted, practically molding himself into the arm at the end of the couch. If it could have swallowed him whole he'd have let it. Unfortunately, the young man found himself feeling very cornered by the encroaching older man.

Just like the first time they met, Asami filled the room with his powerful aura and his golden eyes were cold, icy as he stared at Takaba. Asami's poker face was in place as he studied the young man, wondering what his thoughts were.

"That's far enough, perverted bastard," Takaba hissed, glaring at Asami.

The older man, in his perfectly pressed Armani suit, stood a few feet from his little wildcat. He lit a cigarette and took his time inhaling and blowing out the smoke, savoring the sense of relaxation it gave him and the intimidation it gave Takaba.

The lion, AKA Asami, took another step towards his prey but the skittish young man lurched over the arm of the couch and took off towards the stairs.

When he returned, Takaba had his camera bag on his shoulder and ignored Asami as he headed to the door.

"Hey, where do you think you are going?" Asami asked, crushing out his cigarette.

Takaba glared at Asami and hissed, "I got stuff to do so you and gorilla guy here can take a load off. I. Don't. Need. A. Babysitter."

Asami shrugged, "Do as you like."

As he fled the house, Suoh entered the room. Without taking his eyes off the door Takaba just went through, he said, "Track him."

By mid afternoon, Takaba had went to check out a new version of an Xbox game he and Kou liked to play, stopped at the camera store, and stopped at the office to get some info he needed for two upcoming events he was photographing. _Great, _Takaba thought,_ a wedding and a fundraiser banquet._

He was just pulling into the drive when his phone vibrated. It was Clark, another reporter he worked with. _Now why is he calling me?_

"Takaba," Aki said as he answered.

"Hey Aki, I need your help." Clark said, sounding rushed.

"What do you need?" Takaba asked.

"Well, I have a job tonight but the babysitter got sick and my wife is out of town. I have to stay home. Can you cover for me? It could be a huge story."

"Awe Clark," Takaba paused considering the offer. "You owe me one, big time."

"Thanks man, I really appreciate it. I'll text you the info in a few minutes." Clark said and hung up.

Well, at least Takaba would not have to be around Asami. The young man was not sure what to think of Asami after what he did to Takaba the night before. Though Asami had been rough with him, it was different than it had been with the kidnapper. He wouldn't say Asami was gentle but he wasn't hateful in his ministrations. There was an air of tenderness in the older man's touches.

Somewhere in New York the leader of the Carbaletti organization was preparing to meet with two police officers. The two officers worked the Carbaletti territory and looked the other way when it came to the organization's activities for a monetary fee.

Two weeks ago, there was speculation that Carbaletti was paying off cops but no one knew who the cops were. The two cops were photographed with Carbaletti's assistant in the back of a restaurant but the photos had been tampered with so the people were not identifiable.

Carbaletti found out who the photographer was and had been keeping tabs on him. The last piece of intel that Carbaletti received was that the criminal photographer knew about the meeting that night and was planning to get his scoop and more photos, better ones.

Well, Carbaletti would be ready and waiting for this Clark fellow when the time came and he would teach the man a lesson in interfering in his organization.

Takaba looked out at the night sky. In order to make it to the meeting point he would have to leave soon. He came out of his room and went to the kitchen so Asami saw him. After grabbing a soda, he returned to his room and closed the door.

After forty-five minutes, Asami called Suoh.

"Yes, boss."

"Tell Takaba I want to talk to him." ASami said since Takaba had done everything possible to avoid Asami all day.

Within minutes, Suoh was running down the stairs toward his boss who was sitting at the table.

"Boss, he's gone."

Asami looked curiously at Suoh, "What do you mean….gone."

"He got away."

Asami smirked, _of course he did._ They entered Takaba's room and saw just the edge of the climbing ropes hanging over the side of the window ledge. Asami's eyes narrowed but he was not overly concerned. He flipped open his phone and dialed Takaba.

Asami froze when he saw the small white iphone vibrating on the nightstand. Their tracking device was completely worthless. They would be going blind on their search to find Takaba.

With rage consuming him, Asami grabbed the phone. Though Takaba's ass would suffer for his little stunt, at least he didn't delete the info that said the time and place of the meeting that his colleague sent him earlier that day.

"Oh Akihito, when I get my hands on you…." Asami said aloud and so calmly that Suoh winced.

**Sorry if I am slow to update. Not making excuses just letting you know that I do have "Life" to deal with so bare with me. A week ago my mom went into ICU for her heart, my dad had surgery for cancer on Friday and I had to fly half way around the world to be here with them, leaving my children and spouse over 3000 miles away. The last five days have been pretty busy but I will do my best to keep updating. Thanks for your understanding.**

**By the way I am watching 12/12/12 concert on TV: Awesome!**


	7. First Impressions 7

The night air had a chill to it and Takaba shivered as he silently made his way into the warehouse and assessed his options. The back half of the warehouse was filled with huge boxes, crates, and pallets. _Well, this will be easy,_ he thought. There were plenty of places to hide and still have a clear shot of the front of the warehouse. Takaba assumed that the meeting would be held near the front where there was an old wooden table and a couple of chairs amongst a forklift and some packaging material.

Takaba was crouched behind a pallet standing on its end. His camera lens fit between the wooden slats. _Perfect. I will definitely get some good shots from here._

It was not long before Takaba heard two car doors shut and then the metal door open. An old man who appeared to be in his fifties or so, appeared with another suited man following. The other man had a briefcase that he set on the table.

Then two more guys showed up that were apparently the muscle in the organization though they were not overly huge like gorilla guy, they were thugs. They wore military boots, jeans, t-shirts, and flannels over them. One of them had a bandana covering his head. They looked more like gangsters in comparison to the finely dressed men they now spoke to.

_Finely dressed….Asami….tall and dangerous….Asami….sandalwood and coconut…._Takaba shook his head, disgusted with himself. Now why had he thought of that bastard at a time like this? _Focus Takaba, focus on getting the photos. _

When two more car doors were heard, Takaba shifted position carefully, _here we go._ He got a few shots of the four men before the last two showed up. They were casually dressed so they must be the cops, off duty apparently.

"Hello gentlemen." The old man, obviously Carbaletti, spoke to the newcomers.

"Hello sir," they responded, voices vibrating as they glanced at the entourage accompanying the old man.

"I wanted to let you gentlemen know that this Saturday night, we have some business to take care of near the east end. It would be convenient for you to respond slowly to the call you will surely get."

"Of course sir." One cop responded with a nod of understanding.

Takaba clicked away, capturing the men's profiles in his viewfinder. He smiled as the briefcase was picked up by the younger suited man and handed to one of the cops.

"Thank you sir," he said and they shook hands before the cops turned and walked out through the creaky metal door.

"Now Blacky and Carver," the old man addressed the two gangster looking thugs. "Time for operation Hound Dog." That was the name Carbaletti gave to sniffing out the rabbit, AKA Takaba Akihito, though he didn't know the photographer's name.

Suddenly, Takaba's eyes widened as the two thugs headed straight toward him. He lowered his camera and held his breath. _They don't know I'm here. There is no way they know I'm here._

The two men began to look around and move boxes in search of something Takaba was not sure of. Closer….and closer….they came. Takaba shrunk as small as he could make himself. The darkness and shadows would help along with the fact that he wore a black long-sleeve shirt and a black baseball cap. The two men went right past him looking in the opposite direction.

Takaba closed his eyes briefly while he let out the breath he had been holding, when he was suddenly yanked up from behind. The camera dropped to the floor.

"Ahhh….what the….let me go!"

Takaba fought and fought, struggling to get out of the hands trying to subdue him. He would not be taken down easily. No, he was not about to make it easy for them.

"What have we here?" Carbaletti said in amusement as he came up and took the discarded camera.

"Let me go, asshole," Takaba hissed.

Carbaletti nodded and the thug with the bandana threw his first punch. Takaba felt his entire cheek explode from the blow. But what really stunned him was the three more blows in quick succession that he received just after.

"Stop, let me go! You have the camera."

"Oh no," the old man said, "I will make an example out of you so that all your little photographer friends will learn the price for snooping around in my business."

Takaba spit out the blood pooling in his mouth. The metallic taste made Takaba's face scrunch up as well as being hauled upright, his back against the chest of one thug while his arms were bent awkwardly behind him.

"Blacky, careful. Don't hurt him too much….yet." The old man warned.

_Ok, so Blacky was the one with the bandana, nice name dickhead,_ Takaba chuckled to himself but that only got him a couple of blows to his gut.

"I don't see you laughing now," Blacky said to the bloody, beaten young man in front of him.

Takaba didn't know how long it went on, but his whole body went numb and his mind was getting hazy as the blows continued, alternating between his gut and his face.

"Well now, what message should we send to your friends, hm?"

Carbaletti said. "Carver."

The man let go of Takaba and he slumped to his knees, to weak to hold himself up. Blacky came around behind him and hoisted Takaba up onto his feet.

"Ngh….stop," Takaba pleaded, his voice almost a whisper.

Carver came into Takaba's view and Takaba hissed, "Carver? Nice name, asshole."

Carver chuckled and pulled out a blade, "It's adequate."

Takaba's eyes widened and the fear he had masked until now, fell. The young photographer was afraid now, very afraid. His feeble attempts to struggle against Blacky made all the men laugh, echoing through out the metal building.

"Now that is what I like to see," Carbaletti said. "Now Carver, show him what you can do."

"Oh no, no, no, no, no, NOOOOOOOO!" Takaba screamed louder with each word as Carver stepped closer.

"AHHHH!" Takaba screamed when Carver embedded the blade in the left side of Takaba's gut.

_It hurts, oh God, it hurts. Please stop! Someone help me. Someone….anyone….Asami….._

_He won't come. I left my phone. He won't find me._

By the time Kirishima got the Escalade through the bumper-to-bumper traffic and had waited on an accident to be cleaned up, his boss was all but going up in flames from his rage. It had taken way too much time getting across town.

When they reached the warehouse, Asami was no less agitated, though no one but the two men in the SUV would have noticed the slight emotion filtering through his poker face.

"You have your orders. We do not interfere with Takaba's job, only if something goes wrong. Wait for my signal." Asami instructed.

They slowly walked close to the building and were half way to the side door when Asami heard it.

"NOOOOOOOOO! AHHHHH!"

Asami drew his gun and took off running motioning for his men to follow. He hadn't expected to hear the desperate scream, but when he did, he knew immediately that it was Takaba's voice.

Without hesitating, even though they were going in blind, Asami, Kirishima, and Suoh stormed the warehouse. They burst through the door and paused to assess the scene before them.

Carbaletti swung around, "Who the hell are you?"

The man in the suit pulled out his gun. Carver swung around with the knife in hand, the young photographer's blood dripping off the tip. Blacky froze, holding the now limp body up.

"I am Asami Ryuichi and I do _not _like people touching what is _mine._" Asami's murderous look took Carbaletti by surprise.

The tall, well-dressed man exuded power and authority. He was intimidating to look at and even more when he spoke with his cold, deadly tone.

Though Carbaletti had a high opinion of himself, this stranger before him did not seem like a man who played games. As soon as he stepped into the warehouse, he dominated the room. The air was tense as Asami caught a glimpse of Takaba.

The young man's shirt had been slit up the front and there was a gaping bloody hole in his side. His jeans were torn and he had dust from the warehouse floor covering him. His shoulders and head were slumped forward.

Carbaletti walked over to Takaba and fisted his hair, yanking his head back. When Asami saw the swelling black and blue bruising to Takaba's eye, jaw, mouth, hell his whole face was puffing up, Asami's own mask fell away revealing the raw rage at the surface.

Takaba was still awake, though just barely, and his eyes were not much more than swollen slats but nevertheless, his gaze met Asami's.

"A…Asa…mi," Takaba breathed so quietly Asami would have missed it if he hadn't been looking at Takaba's mouth when it moved.

No one had time to even think, let alone react, when Asami's gun was suddenly pressed against Carbaletti's forehead.

"I will personally break each and every one of your fingers." Asami growled.

Carbaletti stared hard at Asami apparently assessing if he should take the threat to heart. Slowly, his hand dropped away from Takaba's light brown hair and the young man's head once again slumped forward.

"Do you have any idea who you are talking to?" Carbaletti asked Asami.

"I don't care." He said, though he did know who the Italian mafia man was. "You will turn him over to me now or this gets messy."

Carbaletti took a long deep breath. He was contemplating whether to hand Takaba over.

"My trigger finger is getting itchy."

"Alright," Carbaletti said quickly. "Blacky, let him go."

Blacky released Takaba and he crumpled to the floor. A second later, Blacky followed suit with a bullet right between the eyes. Carver was next. Carbaletti and his remaining man were absolutely stunned by the sudden turn of events.

Asami could not help himself. He had to shoot someone and who better than the two idiots that actually had beaten his boy. They had done it, been told to do it, but they were the ones to carry out the orders. Killing Carbaletti would be an annoyance since the Italian mafia would be unhappy so Asami had no intention of doing that, right now anyway.

Knowing that his men had his back, Asami holstered his gun and dropped to his knees by the young man. He took Takaba into his arms, holding the upper half of Takaba's body against his own.

"Takaba," Asami said sternly and waited. "Takaba," he said louder.

"Mmhh, Uuhh," He moaned.

Asami abruptly stood up, cradling Takaba in his arms, careful of the oozing wound as he started to move. At the door, he hollered over his shoulder, "Men, let's go."

**Hello readers, hope you are enjoying this story so far. Thank you for the reviews and please keep it up. I have to admit I do not think this chapter is that good so soon we will get to the fun stuff, Asami at a theme park or water park maybe? We shall see…..**


	8. First Impressions 8

All the way home, Asami held an unconscious Takaba in his arms. The moment they arrived, Akira replaced Suoh for the night shift and along with Kirishima, they tended Takaba's various wounds.

Asami allowed the men to clean and bandage the young man before he stripped Takaba and put him to bed. In the silence of the darkened bedroom, Asami only had his thoughts to keep him company since he wasn't leaving until Takaba woke up.

The young photographer was sneaky and clever, however, he had been very foolish to leave his phone at home and even more so to think Asami would not find him. _Oh Akihito, you will be punished._

The pain of being stabbed caused Takaba to all but pass out. Somewhere through the haze that was his mind, he saw Asami. Then the shivers subsided and Takaba felt warm. A familiar scent lingered but he could not identify it in his muddled mind. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he knew that he was safe. That warmth felt safe and he gave in to the darkness completely.

Suddenly they were there, touching him, those rough hands. They were pinching his nipples hard, bruising them. _No, no stop._ He looked around but all he saw was the hotel room. _No, not again, I can't let him rape me again!_

_Gone_….gone were the rough calloused hands, replaced by smooth, manicured ones. The warm wet tongue brushed over his taut nipples, slowly, giving each one his undivided attention. _Asami._

_Look at me, look only at me….Asami._

Takaba's eyes flew open suddenly and he was acutely aware of three things: 1.) He was in his own bed, covered up, with only his boxers on, 2.) He was in excruciating pain, and 3.) He had gotten turned on by his thoughts of Asami.

His gaze quickly shifted to the side, careful to remain still due to the pain, where he saw the silhouette of that perfectly sculpted body sitting in the chair, cigarette in hand.

"Didn't you see my no-smoking sign? This is my bedroom, bastard, you can't smoke in here," Takaba hissed.

Asami stood and came into the dim light, signature smirk in place. He wore his suit minus the jacket and vest. His white linen shirt was rolled up to his elbows and his hair had fallen partially over one eye. _God he's so sexy,_ Takaba thought first, _wait, what the hell am I thinking!_

The young man quickly moved his hand away from his chest as if he hadn't been touching himself in a sexual way and glared at the older man. But when he tried to sit up, he winced and hissed in pain.

Asami went over to the desk but Takaba could not see around the older man to see what he was doing. Asami came back over to the bed and sat on the edge, smirking at his little wildcat.

"Here, take these."

Takaba just glanced at Asami's hands, one with two pills and the other with a glass of orange juice.

"Takaba," Asami said sternly, "Take the pain pills."

"I….I'm….fine…." He winced as he pushed himself up on his elbows.

"If you don't take them on your own, I will give them to you."

Takaba was not sure exactly how Asami would manage that, he would simply keep refusing. He hated to show weakness to anyone, but especially Asami. He did not want the older man to think of him as weak and helpless.

Asami had the pills in his mouth and pressed his lips to Takaba's so quickly that the young man had no time to react. The kiss was urgent and full of all the tortured emotions that Asami had felt that evening. All the worry and rage was poured into that kiss. His tongue dominated Takaba's mouth, leaving not one inch unexplored and the pills were inadvertently swallowed by Takaba.

Takaba's hands flew to Asami's chest but he did not push the older man away, he gripped fistfuls of the white linen shirt and held on. The scent of Asami's sandalwood cologne and coconut shampoo wafted through Takaba's nose, heightening his other senses.

The forceful older man tasted like whiskey and Dunhill cigarettes, a sweet taste that Takaba could not get enough of. His strong arms were on either side of Takaba as he leaned over the young man.

When Asami finally pulled back from the kiss, Takaba could see the heat in Asami's gaze, the raw desire evident in those golden orbs. Takaba's own heavy lidded hazel eyes gave away his desperate need, silently begging Asami for more as he gulped in air.

Takaba turned his head away first, the torment vividly apparent. Takaba was not gay and he did not want to be taken advantage of by Asami, but his cock was already hard and the fire deep within him had been ignited with just that one kiss.

He was disgusted with himself for wanting the older man. He _shouldn't _want Asami. Takaba was torn, his body craved the older man's touch but there were so many reasons why he needed to deny that very touch.

"Don't."

"Do you really think you are in any position to give _me_ orders? Do you have any idea how much trouble you caused, first by sneaking out and second by leaving your phone behind?"

Takaba's chin rose defiantly and his eyes sparkled devilishly.

Asami leaned in until his mouth nearly touched Takaba's ear, "You will be punished."

Takaba's eyes widened, "You….you can't….punish me."

"I can and I will." Then he paused for effect, "but right now, you need to rest."

Asami stood, took one last look at Takaba, his expression appeared concerned, and then he left. Asami wanted so badly to bury himself inside his boy but with all that Takaba had endured, he needed time to recover. Once he did though, Asami _would_ punish him.

**13 days**

Takaba did not wake again until nearly eleven the next morning, the pain pills had worn off and the exhaustion gone. He winced and uttered a mumbled curse as he tried to get out of bed. He made it to the door and opened it. Suoh glanced over and reacted fast for being such a big guy when he saw Takaba grasp the door jam in a futile attempt to hold himself up when his legs gave out.

"Boss!" Suoh yelled and Asami immediately came rushing up the stairs.

He grabbed Takaba around his back and scooped up the young man, cradling him. Takaba's face scrunched up from the pain in his side and he pressed his hand against the bandage.

"Hey, what are you doing out of bed?" Asami said as if scolding a child.

"I'm hungry!" Takaba snapped, "And this is my house, I can go wherever I want."

"Not in your condition you can't." Asami stated and headed into Takaba's room.

"Wait," Takaba said quickly, then lowered his eyes and voice, "I….I want to go downstairs, you know, watch some TV or something."

He was humiliated for two reasons: he hated being treated like a child, having Asami carrying him the way he was and sitting in his room all day would be beyond boring. It's not like he couldn't recover sitting on the couch.

Asami smirked. He took Takaba downstairs and after settling the young man on the couch with a blanket and pillow, ordered Margie, the new cook he hired, to make Takaba lunch.

While Takaba flipped through channels and devoured the cheap ramen noodles, Asami sat on the other end of the L shaped couch, studying him.

Takaba glanced over, chopsticks midway to his mouth catching Asami's amused expression. The older man's eyes sparkled and there was just the barest hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"What?" Takaba hissed.

"Nothing," Asami replied casually.

Takaba narrowed his eyes, not sure what to make of the older man's look at first. He eyed the older man with the same curiosity, tilting his head to the side and lowering the bowl to rest in his lap.

"Tell me something, why are you here?"

"To protect you," Asami replied with a shrug.

"There were others and they all left," Takaba stated.

Asami's eyes narrowed, "Your tricks might have worked on them, but not on me. _I_ am not going anywhere, Akihito."

Takaba shivered at the dangerous tone in Asami's voice. His mere presence and powerful confidence frightened and excited Takaba at the same time. His eyes suddenly became heavy, sultry looking. He parted his lips to breathe and bit his bottom lip. Nervousness over took him as those golden eyes never wavered from him, even when Asami closed the distance between them and crushed their lips together.

Takaba pulled back and turned his head, "Stop….you….perverted bastard!"

"This," Asami said pressing his palm to the bulge that he could feel through the blanket and boxers, "tells me you don't want to stop."

"I...I want….I want…." Takaba panted.

"You want…._what_?" Asami purred near Takaba's ear.

Takaba blushed crimson and looked away. He could not honestly answer that question with dignity.

"Tell me, Akihito, what do you want?" Asami whispered in the young man's ear before licking it and causing Takaba's head to tilt, giving him more access.

_Oh God, this is so wrong on so many levels, but….but….shit, his voice, his scent, his gorgeous body, _EVERYTHING _about him makes me fucking want him!_

"I….I can't," Takaba breathed.

"Say it," Asami purred as he continued to rub his palm between Takaba's covered legs but Takaba shook his head, blushing.

Takaba looked down to see the bare forearm with muscles flexed and watch in place, moving, rubbing pleasure into his body. Asami's mouth gave Takaba's neck and shoulder undivided attention. The licking was soft and felt good while alternating with bites to his flesh that stung and tingled clear to Takaba's toes.

Asami pulled back and their gazes locked, "Think of me, Akihito, how I make you feel, how your body loves my touch. Think of nothing else but me," Asami whispered and lowered his head to catch one nipple, flicking it with his tongue.

Takaba could not speak, could not stop what he knew to be wrong but felt so right. His hands flew to Asami's head and his fingers fisted in the chestnut locks. _So soft….his hair is like silk. His mouth was sooo hot._

Takaba's gaze followed Asami as he kissed the young man's stomach moving lower….lower….lower still, taking the blanket and the boxers down as he went.

He looked up into those glazed hazel eyes as he enveloped Takaba's rock hard muscle in his mouth, twirling his tongue around the tip and sucking hard. _My adorable Akihito, Asami thought to himself. _Takaba was mesmerized, taking in the heated golden eyes locked with his and the look of his cock filling Asami's mouth.

When Takaba winced from tensing his body, Asami paused, "Relax Akihito." He demanded softly before continuing. Takaba could not help pushing his hips toward Asami and using his grip on the older man's hair to meet his hips, his rhythm.

_Shit, my side hurts but I need his hot mouth on me. "Ngh…"_

Asami held and massaged Takaba's balls along with sucking him off and the young man felt the ripples through out his body.

"A….A….asa….mi," Takaba panted, throwing his head back, "It's no good….I can't hold it…."

"Come for me," Asami breathed while working Takaba over.

Asami sucked harder, sure that Takaba was close, especially when the warm liquid squirted into his mouth and the back of his throat. He milked his boy dry while Takaba rode the waves of his orgasm.

Even with Takaba's death grip on his hair, Asami leaned up and they locked eyes again briefly before Asami kissed him. Takaba could taste himself on Asami's tongue and moaned into Asami's mouth. _God that is so fucking hot, _Takaba thought.

For Asami, even though he did not get off, the fact that Takaba did was enough for the moment. He wanted to be all Takaba thought about, wanted to mark the young man, possess him.

Later, much later, Asami would assess these uncharacteristic feelings but right now he wanted to stay in the moment. The fact that he had broken all his own rules with regards to protecting clients in the past few days was something that would put on the back burner for now.


	9. First Impressions 9

"Takaba, it's time to change your dressing," Asami stated.

Takaba rolled his eyes and put the controller down. He really wanted to stay as far away from the older man as possible, but Asami would not allow it. Takaba blushed, unable to meet the older man's eyes as he strode past Asami and up the stairs towards his room. Spending the entire day cooped up in the house was rather boring.

Lying on the bed was the best position for the dressing change to his knife wound. Kirishima had a TV tray set up with the bandages and wound cleaner on it for easy access.

The young man paused before assuming his position on his bed, nervous about many things. First, Asami was going to do the dressing change. Second, there was only he and the older man in the bedroom. Third, the tension was thick in the room. And fourth, but the most important, Asami was going to touch him.

Takaba's hands were shaking as he pulled up his shirt to expose the white gauze and wrap that went clear around his lower torso. The wounds to his face did not need further tending they just needed time to heal. His knife wound however, had needed eight stiches that Kirishima had provided flawlessly.

Asami's hand skimmed over the binding that Kirishima insisted the boy have, unsure if there were broken ribs. Asami didn't like what the young man's injuries made him feel. He was angry, so very angry with Takaba for ditching them in order to do that job and for getting hurt in the process. He was also angry at himself for not only being tricked by the young man but for not getting to him in time to prevent things from going that far.

He had known Takaba's wounds were not fatal but the boy's unresponsiveness and holding the limp body in his arms had frightened the ever cold, usually disconnected man. Never in his life had he worried for another's wellbeing like he had Takaba. In his business, that kind of personal attachment threw a man off guard. He'd seen the movie _Bodyguard_ once and smirked at the people on the screen. That was until he ended up in the real life situation. He was skating on thin ice allowing emotions to be involved with his work and that was not acceptable.

Takaba sucked in a breath when the strong fingers grazed his bare skin. It was like an electrical current ran from one to the other and he met the golden gaze. The sound of their breathing was the only thing breaking the deafening silence in the room.

Gently, Asami cut off the binding and removed the gauze over the perfectly aligned stiches. Kirishima was good and there would hardly be a scar when Takaba was fully healed.

Asami cleaned the wound with the cleanser spray and patted it dry. Then he applied new gauze. When he went for the binding though, Takaba protested.

"No, please don't put that on again. It gets itchy and it's hot. I don't have any pain other than the knife wound so I think I am ok without it."

Asami raised a brow at Takaba and paused before setting the binding back on the table. He came over to the bed and ran his fingers over the tape once again to make sure it was secure. It was the simplest of touches, yet painfully intimate.

There was about four inches between the dressing and Takaba's belly button where Asami's head dipped down and his lips pressed against the pale skin.

"D…Don't," Takaba breathed.

Asami chuckled deep and low as he ignored the protest and kissed Takaba's stomach again. It was a mistake to glance at the younger man whose head was turned to the side, eyes squeezed shut as if to block out those unwanted feelings, and his breathing was labored.

"Are….Aren't you….done?"

"Do you want me to be?" The sultry smooth voice vibrated Takaba's insides.

"Y….Yeah."

One of Asami's hands slid up Takaba's inner thigh and even with jeans on the bulge was evident. When Asami's hand rubbed over it, Takaba gasped.

"_This_ tells me you don't want me to be done."

The silence was broken again by the sound of the jean's button popping and zipper going down.

Takaba's hand flew to Asami's wrist, "Wait….stop…."

But the older man did not heed Takaba's warning and suddenly the thin fabric of Takaba's briefs was too much between his hardening arousal and the hand rubbing back and forth, providing friction and heat.

If not for the situation, one would have thought Takaba was in excruciating pain by his tormented expression, and in a way he was. He was fighting a losing battle with his own betraying body, not wanting to _want_ Asami's touch.

"Please," Takaba begged, eyes still squeezed shut in denial.

Asami leaned his head down and pressed his face where his hand had been, inhaling deeply. Then he nipped at the younger man's stiff cock through the fabric.

Instinctively, Takaba's fingers threaded through the chestnut locks of Asami's hair. Though the young man was oblivious, Asami briefly closed his eyes, reveling in the fact that Takaba was needy and could not fight it any longer.

Asami slid down Takaba's jeans and briefs, immediately licking Takaba's weeping tip as he did so. Takaba moaned and squirmed, Asami's tongue igniting a fire with in his core.

Takaba writhed on the bed as Asami's head bobbed up and down making Takaba's shaft slick with his warm saliva. At the same time that Asami was sucking off Takaba, he was working the young man's jeans down and off his body.

"Hah….hah….d….don't….hah…."

Takaba's feeble plea went unheard and he threw his head back when Asami raised his legs, briefs still clinging to his thighs, and started licking around the tight hole.

"Not, hah….there, hah…."

Asami inserted one saliva-covered finger into that hole receiving a low guttural groan from the younger man. Asami eased that one finger in and out a few times before adding a second and then a third.

Takaba's insides were burning with a wantonness he could not contain and he was mortified at how erotic it was to be finger fucked by Asami while his legs were bent up exposing his bare ass for the taking. Asami added to the pain of Takaba's throbbing cock by taking the young man's balls in his mouth and twirling his tongue around them.

Suddenly he felt cold, all touch gone and he was slid to the edge of the bed. Asami did not want to bend Takaba too much due to his wound so the young man found his ass nearly hanging off the edge of the bed and the back of his legs resting on Asami's chest. Then it was there. Takaba felt Asami's head at his entrance.

"_Oh no way_….Asami….aaahhh!"

Asami thrust deep, all the way to the hilt, "That's it, Akihito, suck me all the way in. _Feel it_, how hard my cock is and how you clench around it."

_No, no, no, no, no! Not again. We can't do this. I don't want this….I don't want this. God, it hurts. He is so thick that he's gonna tear me apart._

Asami pulled all the way out leaving Takaba completely breathless. All thought had fled Takaba's mind and he was a pool of trembling flesh beneath the hovering older man.

Again Asami thrust in hard, fast, and deep. He paused and then pulled out again. After the third time of thrusting into the young man and quickly leaving him empty yet again, Takaba was whimpering and fighting the tears stinging his eyes.

Asami thrust in and Takaba grasped his upper arms, "_Please_….lea….leave it….in."

Asami stared into Takaba's moist hazel eyes, fully aware of how difficult it was for Takaba to say those words. Leaning over Takaba's underwear clad thighs, Asami kissed the young man, tasting the salty tears that the boy could not hold back.

The older man grasped Takaba's hips then and started a rough rhythm, pounding the tight hole again and again, over and over, taking them both higher. Both men were panting but it was barely heard over the smacking of skin on skin.

Asami was not sure he had ever been that hard in his entire life. Takaba just did not realize how sexy he really was. They were going to have to do it in front of a mirror so he could show Takaba just how adorable he looked when he was being fucked senseless.

Takaba's hot sheath pulled Asami in, clenching muscles massaging his huge, thick, and throbbing cock. He gazed intently at the young man's expression, the pained look relaxing into pure hot pleasure as Takaba cried out with each thrust.

Asami grasped Takaba's own hard cock and pumped it quickly in time with his thrusts. The waves of pleasure were building rapidly inside Takaba until he tensed and those waves came crashing down in a sea of sated bliss.

"A….ASAMI! Ngh!" His mind was hazy as consciousness fled.

Asami felt the warm creamy liquid coat his fingers at the same time that the younger man clenched around his throbbing cock, embedded in that tight hot ass.

The older man grunted as his release pulsed out of him. The young man's body quivered as they both rode out their orgasms. _So incredible_, Asami thought to himself glancing at his beautiful, passed out boy. The younger man was like a drug to Asami, he just could not get enough of him. He loved the fire and passion that was Takaba. It didn't matter if it was arguing with Asami or during sex; Takaba was a wildcat that held nothing back.

Asami cleaned them both off and slid the briefs back on his boy before tucking him into bed. Who knew how long he would sleep but maybe it would help what would undoubtedly be a raging hellcat when Takaba woke. He seemed his angriest after Asami had touched him. Asami was well aware that it was his coping mechanism, his denial.

The young man was most likely angrier with himself than Asami anyway. At least when they were having sex, Takaba opened up and eventually gave in to the temptation, inhibitions aside.

Asami also denied. He refused to think that their relationship was anything more than lust. It _was_ more but as long as he didn't actually admit it, it would not be real.


	10. First Impressions 10

**Day 12**

Takaba woke that Friday morning with the lingering thoughts of what had transpired the evening before. Everything Asami had done was vivid in his mind, still fresh as if it had just happened. He could still feel Asami's soft lips and smooth hands on his body. But those thoughts soon vanished when he tried to move and pain shot through his lower back.

_Shit, that hurts! Fucking bastard pounded my ass!_ Well, Asami would not get away with it. Takaba had a plan today and though it would anger the older man, Takaba would show him that he could not mess with the young photographer and get away with it.

He showered and changed his own bandage, cause he certainly wasn't going to let Asami do it again, and left his room with his laundry basket.

When he saw Suoh standing in the hall, he snarled, "I'm going to do laundry. Do I have to have an audience to do that?"

Suoh raised a brow but otherwise remained expressionless and motionless as Takaba proceeded to head downstairs to the back of the house where the washer and dryer were.

Suoh shook his head, _the kid will never learn._

Once in the small room at the back of the house, Takaba removed the towels covering his camera bag and coat. Retrieving them and putting the coat on, Takaba snuck out the back door and to his bike. It was getting colder and soon the snow would start. Then he was going to need something else to drive, or someone to drive him. Until then, however, he would use his bike as his get away vehicle.

Suoh did not realize that Takaba had gone until he heard the bike leaving the driveway. He ran to the front door just in time to see the bike and its occupant vanish out of sight.

"Danm it!" Suoh growled.

"Something wrong, Suoh," Asami said with amusement in his voice.

"Sorry boss, he tricked me and got away again."

Asami shrugged, "Check the tracker."

Unlike last time, Takaba had his phone with him. Asami concluded that this was not an attempt to really ditch them but a statement loud and clear; _I do not need a babysitter._

"Just keep an eye on where he goes. If he ends up somewhere that seems suspicious, let me know." Asami ordered.

He didn't though, Takaba just did some errands and came home in time to get ready for his wedding rehearsal job that night. When he came in the house, he was grinning from ear to ear.

"Have a nice day?" He asked Asami and Suoh who were both seated in the dining room.

Asami's eyes lit up in amusement at the young man who appeared to be proud of himself for his little stunt earlier that day.

Neither man showed any evidence of being bothered by the young man's little game. But Takaba was too happy with himself to have his mood brought down so he sauntered up to his room to get ready for his job.

When he came back down an hour later, both men were still together in the dining room. He stared at them expectantly.

"So….I gotta go." Takaba said, expecting the two men to get up so they could go with him.

"So go." Asami stated.

"What? You aren't going with me?"

"No. We have some work to do. I'll see you when you get home." Asami said.

Takaba shrugged, maybe they were finally getting the drift that he didn't need them around. "Fine, bye."

But after the rehearsal dinner it was only ten o'clock and Kou had texted him twice about meeting him and Takato for drinks at the Paradise Bar so Takaba gathered his camera bag and headed that way.

He snickered to himself, _Asami will be so pissed that I didn't come straight home. Good! The sick bastard deserves it! _

"Aki!" Kou shouted when Takaba entered the bar and was walking to their table.

"Hey," Takato nodded.

"Hey guys," Takaba smiled and took a seat while Kou ordered him a drink.

"So dude, how is it going with the new security?" Kou asked.

"Great! Do you see them here?" He responded.

"Dude, you are seriously gonna get in trouble one of these days." Kou laughed.

It had become a game to thwart his security over the past couple of years and the three friends often laughed at the various methods Takaba used to dupe them.

Takaba had only drunk a few beers when the door to the bar flew open and a large man filled the entire doorway with his presence. Suoh! He quickly spotted the young man and moved aside so Asami could enter.

_Shit,_ Takaba thought to himself. _Am I in trouble?_ He wasn't so worried about Suoh as he was Asami. That man had very unorthodox ways of handling situations and Takaba wanted no part of it. His ass still hurt from yesterday.

Neither man showed any sign of emotion, poker faces firmly intact. They stood near the door and minded their own business, not even looking in Takaba's direction.

Takaba thought he had lucked out when he didn't see Asami that morning. Avoiding the older man also helped him to avoid thinking about the things they had done, the sinful but pleasurable things they had done.

_What the hell? The bastard didn't give me a choice. _Takaba purposefully ignored the fact that his protests died off the more his body responded to Asami's ministrations.

"Hey dude, we are going back to my place," Kou told him.

"Kou has a new game he thinks he can beat us at," Takato offered.

"Let's go then." Takaba replied.

As they walked past Suoh and Asami, Takaba said, "I'm staying at Kou's apartment tonight. Don't wait up."

When they all arrived at the apartment building, Takaba went up to the SUV where Asami had rolled down the window.

"See you later. Have a nice night," the young man smiled and spun on his heel.

**Day 11**

Takaba did not return home until after the wedding the next night. It just so happened that he had some clothes at Kou's from the last time he stayed there so he didn't need to go home for anything. He already had his camera bag from the rehearsal dinner the night before.

Suoh and Akira were discussing something Takaba could not hear when he entered the house. They glanced at him and then returned to their conversation. Asami was nowhere in sight.

Takaba made his way to his room and noticed Asami's door was closed. He glanced around to make sure the other men hadn't followed him and then leaned his ear to the door to listen.

"I will see you tomorrow evening at the hotel. I made reservations at Pandora's for two at eight o'clock." Asami stated.

_He must be talking on his phone, but to whom, reservations for two? Is he dating someone? If he is, they do not have a clue about what he is really like._

Takaba went to his room and laid on the bed. He just could not get those words out of his head. Curiosity was all it was, nothing more. It's not like he was jealous or anything. He did wonder what type of girl Asami went for, _if_ it was in fact a girl.

Takaba would have to come up with a plan to ditch Suoh so he could follow Asami and see whom the older man was meeting. That was one thing Takaba loved about his job, well some of them, the thrill of the chase and the rush of capturing a story.

Asami made the arrangements reluctantly. The last thing he wanted to do was have dinner with Misha. The woman had been trying for a very long time to catch Asami. She had all but said it directly, that she wanted to marry him but he always blew her off just enough to keep her hanging. Because she was hand picked by his mother, he had to comply. That was the problem with a Japanese mother who stuck to tradition. Even from the other side of the world, that woman controlled his life. _And Takaba thought he had it tough._

**Day 10**

Takaba got up early and went straight to his darkroom that his father had put in for him when he had first talked about getting his own place.

When he came out that afternoon, Asami was standing in the hall, "So, Suoh said you have been changing your bandage on your own."

"Yeah, so? I am not a kid. I can change a bandage." Takaba hissed.

Asami smirked, "Do as you like." He said casually and turned to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"I have an….appointment tonight." Asami said and kept walking without even turning around.

_An appointment my ass, we'll just see who it is you are meeting tonight._

Takaba called Kou, "I need your help. I am coming over and I will leave my phone with you but you have to stay home so they think I am still at your place. Then I am going to leave out the fire escape and go on a job," he told his friend.

Kou laughed, "Dude, anything you need. But if anything goes wrong, don't blame me. I've seen that gorilla guy and I am not gonna mess with him."

"Make yourself comfortable. I will be here a while," Takaba said to Suoh as they pulled up to the apartment building. Suoh had driven him without question when Takaba had asked. Since it was getting cold, it was the perfect excuse.

Takaba went into the building and up to Kou's apartment. It was seven thirty so he had just enough time to get to the hotel from where Kou lived.

A few blocks from Kou's, Takaba laughed when he saw the waiting SUV. _It worked!_ Suoh will have no clue that Takaba was not actually at the apartment any longer. He took the metro to the nearest stop by the hotel.

The Olympia hotel was a very prestigious place and Takaba suddenly felt very underdressed. He was in his usual jeans and thermal with a t-shirt over it and his tennis shoes. All the other men entering Pandora's were dressed in suits and the women in cocktail dresses.

Luckily, the host had a disgruntled customer to deal with and left his podium for a moment. That gave Takaba just enough time to slip inside and hide out behind a huge potted plant near the restrooms. He had full view of the dining area and just to his left, Asami and a woman.

For the next hour he watched the gorgeous man dining with the strange woman. The older man's expression was relaxed, less intense than when he was around Takaba. At one point he even laughed. _Wow, he is even more beautiful when he smiles._ Takaba shook his head to clear it, _no, no, no, no, no!_

The woman had long black hair and she was Japanese. She was not any taller than Takaba but she was a woman, the one thing that Takaba could never be. Not that it mattered since he didn't like the older man anyway.

When she rose to go to the restroom, Takaba saw that she wore a short black cocktail dress and tall heels. She was pretty when he got a good look at her face as she passed him. He drew his gaze from their table and pretended to be cleaning the potted plant when she passed him. She was definitely pretty.

During the dinner, Asami occasionally took hold of her hand while they talked and she laughed. A couple of times Asami had made her blush. She would look at Asami through her lashes, bashfully. _What a flirt, _Takaba huffed.

After dinner, the couple finished their second bottle of wine and headed out of the restaurant. Takaba walked out smiling at the host who had a perplexed look on his face. In the lobby, he sat in a large chair and grabbed a magazine to hide his face and watched as the couple was handed a room card from the man at the front desk.

_No way! You did not just pay for a room._ Takaba suddenly felt his whole body trembling with rage. _They couldn't be going to a room to….to…._

Takaba made it back to Kou's to get his phone.

"So, how did it go?" Kou asked.

"Great," Takaba said sarcastically.

Then he took his phone and flopped on Kou's couch. Why should he feel bad? It's not like Asami and he even got along so it should not matter who the older man slept with, but for some reason, it hurt, just a little.

**Happy New Year to all my readers. Thanks for reading and reviewing. Love to all this festive season!**


	11. First Impressions 11

**Day 9**

Asami slid out from under the sheets, careful not to wake Misha. Comfortable in his nakedness, he stood and gathered his clothes and headed to the bathroom. After he was ready, he left the room and stopped at the front desk to order Misha room service for breakfast. Then he waited while the valet pulled his BMW up.

The older man arrived at the Takaba residence just before nine in the morning. Takaba was sitting at the breakfast bar eating some salted rice while Margie worked in the kitchen.

Takaba glared at Asami and went back to eating. The older man came up and took Takaba's chin between his fingers, forcing the young man to look at him.

"The bruising is fading. Does your side hurt?"

Takaba jerked his chin free and hissed, "No, it's fine."

"Feisty this morning, are we?" Asami said with an amused tone.

Takaba said nothing and did not even look at Asami again as he took his bowl and chopsticks in hand, moving to the couch and turning on the TV.

"Hey," Asami said and sat down on the couch, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing! Just leave me alone. Don't you have anything better to do than bug me?" Takaba hissed.

"Takaba," Asami said sternly, "Something is bothering you. What is it?"

"Just had trouble with a target I was watching, that's all."

But Takaba would not meet Asami's eyes when he spoke. He seemed angry but there was a slight nervousness to his demeanor.

"Takaba, look at me."

"No!"

"Why?"

"Because I've seen enough of you." Takaba said standing up and heading into the kitchen with Asami on his heels.

"Takaba, tell me what has gotten you all riled up."

Takaba spun around, gripped the counter behind him and hissed, "Maybe next time you go _fucking_ _your woman_ in some hotel room you should hang your suit up so it doesn't get so wrinkled."

Asami noted the sparkle in Takaba's defiant eyes. The young man was definitely proud of himself for his jab. The wildcat bared his teeth and was poised, ready to defend himself against an attack.

"How did you…." Asami started to say but was cut off.

"I saw you!" Takaba shouted.

Asami took a deep breath and slowly stepped forward, fully aware that Takaba had nowhere to go since he blocked the doorway.

When Asami stopped, he was hovering over the young man with his hands on either side of the counter between Takaba's arms and sides, their bodies just touching.

"You're jealous?" Asami's eyes sparkled with amusement.

Takaba glared right back, "N….N….No!"

But the young man could not keep his voice from shaking, nor his body with Asami so close to him. When Asami pressed against him, Takaba felt the electric current that seemed to pull him in.

Suddenly, Asami's phone vibrated and the trance was broken. Seeing that it was Kirishima, he took the call, allowing the young man time to escape.

"What is it?"

"Boss, I have the evidence you wanted on Haruto."

"Good, then set up the meeting like we discussed." Asami ordered and hung up.

An hour later, Takaba came out of his room with his camera bag, "Suoh, I need to go to the office to work today." Since the November chill set in, Takaba's motorcycle was pretty much worthless. Besides, Suoh would have driven there anyway tailing Takaba.

"Takaba, before you leave we need to talk." Asami said coming into the foyer.

"What!" Takaba snapped.

Asami had changed his suit and his demeanor was cold, indifferent, "I have to leave town for a couple of days and I expect you to behave."

It was not as if Asami was asking, he was telling Takaba to stay out of trouble while he was gone.

"Where do you have to go? Aren't you suppose to be my bodyguard?"

"I have business in Japan that cannot wait but I will only be gone a short time. You _will _stay out of trouble until I get back."

"Whatever," Takaba shrugged as though he was barely listening.

Asami strode up to him and grasped his chin, "I already promised to punish you for last week, don't dig your hole even deeper."

Takaba sucked in a breath, his eyes wide, fearful. Asami smirked and released him.

"Bastard!" Takaba growled as he left the house with Suoh following.

Asami landed in Japan in the evening and went directly to his apartment. He had been travelling over twenty-four hours and was exhausted. He had not been to his apartment in over a year but he knew that the caregiver had been notified of his pending arrival and had gotten the place in order for him.

He went to bed when he arrived, wanting to be well rested and ready to do business the following day.

"Commissioner," Asami said as he entered the man's office.

"Asami Ryuichi, what can I do for you," he said, his hands folded on his desk.

Asami took the chair across from the commissioner's desk, lit a cigarette taking a deliberately slow drag, and smirked.

"It's what I can do for you." Asami's voice low and even, poker face intact. "Isamu Kiyono."

"That is a huge name to throw around. Do you have any idea who he is?"

"Of course. I have evidence that can bring him down." Asami stated.

"I would have to see this evidence in order to make that judgement call." The commissioner said but he could not contain his obvious excitement at the prospect.

Asami chuckled and took another long drag of his cigarette, "It's not that easy."

"Oh yes, the information comes with a price." The commissioner said leaning back in his chair and folding his hands together.

"I don't want money." Asami stated.

"Then….what is it you do want? A deal of some sort?"

Asami finished his cigarette and crushed it out taking his time to give the commissioner the impression that he was confident and held all the cards in this little game, which he did. He would remain patient and take his time to get the deal the way he wanted it.

"That is exactly what I want." Asami replied.

**Days 8-4**

Takaba was bored. He hated to admit that having Asami around was kind of interesting. The older man had a way of pissing Takaba off and getting a rise out of him. What's worse is that Takaba fell for it every time. _Why the hell would I miss that?_

He tried to busy himself with work but the political party and the convention of the nation's top leading dentists were not that exciting. He did accidentally take some shots of a drug dealer in central park and the guy was arrested but Takaba's intent had been to take photos of the landscape and the people meandering around the park.

One morning when he was in the bathroom waiting for the water to get warm, his thoughts strayed to the annoying, yet well chiseled older man. Takaba leaned against the wall in the steamy room and his hand skimmed over his sensitive nipple. Before he knew it, he was panting heavily and while one hand lightly brushed the hardened nub, the other slid down past the waistband of his pajama pants.

He rubbed his hard cock, ran his finger over the tip, and massaged his balls. If he kept his eyes closed, he could imagine that the older man was there, touching him. Try as he might, Takaba could not mimic the way Asami's hand curled around his hard shaft to bring him to orgasm.

"_Oh God_…._Asami_…."

It didn't take long for him to release, whimpering to himself, "Why am I like this? What did he do to me?" His face scrunched up in a painfully pleasurable experience. He was torn, mixed up in the head. Takaba blamed Asami for his sick twisted thoughts of the older man. The tears trickled down Takaba's cheeks. He did not want to _need_ what Asami gave him. He was not the _G-word_!

Takaba had seen enough movies to know that men who topped, took other men the way Asami took him to prove they were superior to the _bottom_ man. That had to be what Asami had been doing to him. There was nothing else between them. With his back against the wall, Takaba slid to the floor angry with Asami and himself all over again.

He did have Suoh around but the man did not speak much so Takaba kept his conversations short, not that Suoh wasn't a nice guy they just didn't have anything in common to discuss. Even when he and Kirishima removed Takaba's stiches neither man offered much by way of conversation. Occasionally, Takaba would ask if Asami was ok and Suoh would chuckle for which he would receive the Takaba eye roll. Suoh's response was always the same, "Asami-sama is doing fine."

Takaba did spend most of his evenings with Kou and Takato for a distraction. It did help to indulge in several beers to forget the bastard that he repeatedly told himself he didn't like anyway. One night they just went to the bar but the other two were spent at a dance club that they liked to go to. Takaba lived it up and danced with several women. Grinding against them and holding them close felt good…._safe_. Women were soft and smelled _really_ good. They did not smell like sandalwood cologne, cigarettes, and coconut shampoo. A couple of the women that Takaba danced with had kissed him but contrary to his friends' wishes, Takaba did not go home with any of them.

On the last evening before Asami was due to be home, Takaba decided to come home early and had taken a cab instead of calling Suoh. He thought to play a trick on the gorilla to try to surprise the stoic man who didn't appear to smile much, so he dodged the surveillance cameras and snuck in to the house. When he didn't find Suoh in any of his usual places, he became worried so he started looking in places that Suoh would normally not be, like his father's office.

As he neared the door, he noticed that it was cracked and a light was on inside. Takaba silently stood just outside the door and peered inside carefully.

"Lock the safe back up Suoh, I got the documents that Asami-sama needed on Haruto."

Takaba's eyes widened and he held his breath. The guy with the glasses was standing at his father's desk looking over the papers while Suoh was crouched down shutting the safe and turning the dial.

Takaba was mortified. He could feel the beat of his heart thudding in his chest and his ears were ringing. He was floored by what he had heard. His mind started running through all the possibilities of why they would be snooping through his father's office but only one thing became clear, they were up to something that might harm his father.

Takaba quickly made his way back to the other side of the house and had a soda out just in time for the two men to emerge from the hall.

Kirishima cleared his throat and Suoh gave Takaba a curious look.

"Hi guys." Takaba said. "I was wondering where you were."

"I'll see you out and finish my rounds," Suoh said to Kirishima who pushed his glasses back up his nose, oblivious to the fact that Takaba knew they were up to something.

Takaba went to his room and with shaky fingers called his father, speaking just above a whisper.

"Aki, is everything alright?"

"No dad, it's not. I need you to come home…._now._"

"Aki…."

"Dad, just come home, please." Takaba's tone was full of the fear he was now feeling.

The young man did not know what was going on but something was and his own personal security was involved. That was not a good sign. Why would they spy on his father?

Takaba and his father had obviously been too trusting from the beginning. His dad was usually so careful that anything considered suspicious about the men would have been caught before they were even hired.

Suddenly, Takaba was afraid to with Suoh though the man had never been threatening. The flashbacks started then and the night he had been kidnapped was all to clear in his mind. Try as he might, Takaba's body would not quit shaking.

XXX

Asami relaxed against the reclined first class seat. His mental calendar reminded him that he would be returning on day four, giving him three days to contact Haruto and set everything up according to his plan. His goal had been to save Takaba from being given away and clean up Haruto's mess at the same time.

Asami had been infatuated with the young man since the day they met. The fondness only grew from that moment on. Asami had only been in love once, many years ago. That was the very reason his mother had been pushing Misha on him. She had walked in on him at the age of seventeen with his best friend topping him. After that, the two were never allowed to be within 100 meters of one another. His mother never told his father or anyone else but told a young Ryuichi that what she had seen _never happened_ and he was forbidden to even look in Nishu's direction.

Asami was not about to admit that he was in love with Takaba, only _fond_ ofthe boy. Hell, he wasn't sure what love even was anymore at thirty five years old.

It was evening, and dark, when the plane landed in JFK. The first thing Asami did when the wheels hit the pavement was to turn on his phone. Immediately, there was a text message waiting for him from Kirishima.

WE HAVE A SITUATION. CALL ASAP.

Asami hit the button and put the phone to his ear.

"Boss?"

"What situation?" Asami asked.

"Boss, we were….fired."

"WHAT?" Asami growled.

"Haruto came home early, paid us, and kicked us out." Kirishima stated.

Asami felt the plane come to a stop, "Takaba?"

"We lost contact."

As Asami stood and gathered his carryon he said, "I'll be right there and I want a full report!"

Asami's chest suddenly hurt. Until he knew what was going on all he could wonder was if Takaba was okay.


	12. First Impressions 12

Asami came out through the sliding doors to find Suoh and Akira in the SUV while Kirishima was leaning against the door. They had the vehicle running in the arrivals pick up lane. Asami wasted no time in getting in when Kirishima opened the back door for him.

"Well," Asami raised a brow at the man with the glasses sitting beside him.

"Boss, it seems that Takaba apparently saw Suoh and myself in Haruto's office. He feared we were up to no good so he contacted his father who came home straight away." He kept eye contact with Asami who had not moved a single muscle let alone blink. "Haruto arrived late last evening and after talking with his son, immediately released us from our duties. There is also….this."

Kirishima held out the white iPhone that until yesterday belonged to Takaba. The screen was smashed. Kirishima would have been better if Asami would rant and rave, scream and yell. Unfortunately, his boss was the most self-controlled man he had ever met. Kirishima, and the two men in the front of the SUV knew Asami well enough to see the faint hint of the rage burning within his golden eyes.

Asami felt like the rug had been swept right out from under him. He had thought things would be fine while he made the trip to Japan but now he was suddenly cut off from Takaba and he could not protect the boy from being given away by his father to some _sick fuck_ who would undoubtedly touch Takaba, and worse.

An hour later, Asami was standing in front of his huge floor to ceiling window staring out into the night. The clock read eleven thirty pm. _Day 4 is almost over,_ Asami noted mentally.

"What the hell am I paying you for!" Asami yelled and the tumbler of whiskey flew across the room to shatter against the wall, the contents and shards of glass covering the hard wood floor.

"Boss….we…."

"….Didn't do your fucking job!" Asami growled. Then he swung around, gun in hand, pointing in the direction of his men. "Give me one good reason why I should not shoot you both right now?"

"Boss," Kirishima said, attempting to reason with his long time friend. "You have broken your number one rule: Never get emotionally invested in a client. We have all witnessed it and _you _know it." Kirishima's expression was tender when he spoke. "This young man, he….he got under your skin. You have to let him go. What happens to him is not our problem any longer."

Asami's right arm was shaking, his head pounding, and his heart thudding. He knew the wise man was right but he just could not turn his back on the young man. He imagined Takaba being frightened, tortured, and raped. Those thoughts made Asami's stomach so upset he almost threw up. Takaba's tears were only for him. To have the young man shed them for someone else, a violent kidnapper, was simply out of the question.

He had to get his boy back. For the first time in many years, he felt fear, fear of what could happen to Takaba.

"Everyone get some sleep. Tomorrow we will see Haruto if we have to storm the place." Asami stated.

That night, or what was left of it, Asami lay in bed wondering to himself, _what the hell is wrong with me? _For years the older man felt like he had existed but not really lived. Seeing that light in Takaba made _him_ feel alive also. He loved Takaba's drive to fight for what he thought was right and the vulnerability when he gave up fighting against what he truly wanted.

During sex, the boy would hold out till the bitter end and then let go, all that passion he tried to deny flowing out of him. To let someone defile Takaba, that passion, was wrong and Asami vowed right then and there that he _would _fight to protect his adorable Akihito even if it killed him.

**Day 3**

Asami and his men were at the gate of the Takaba residence by ten am.

"I am sorry but Takaba Haruto is no in at the moment." The guard said.

"What about his son?" Kirishima asked.

"Not in either."

"Suoh, drive us home. We will try later today." Asami ordered clearly irritated.

They went back to the penthouse to regroup, the idea or storming the place quickly turning into their only option when suddenly, Kirishima, who had been monitoring everything relating to the Takabas, came rushing in.

"Boss, Haruto just used his debit card at the Treemont Hotel."

Puzzled, Asami said, "Now why would _he_ be _there?"_

The Treemont was not a five star hotel like one would expect Takaba Haruto to stay at and why stay at any hotel when he lived in New York? Asami needed answers.

"Gentlemen, let's go." Asami said, snatching his suit coat off the chair without slowing his stride towards the door.

Asami and his men hit the front doors of the hotel in full stride. If a person was in their way, they moved quickly at seeing the four men on a mission heading straight to the lounge fo the Treemont Hotel.

It took Asami all of three seconds to spot Haruto at the bar with eight shot glasses turned over in a row, next to where his head rested on the bar, shoulders slumped.

"Takaba Haruto! What are you doing?" Asami said in a deadly even tone.

Haruto chuckled, "Come to finish me off Asami Ryuichi? Go ahead." Haruto's words were very slurred and he turned on his stool, holding out his arms.

The red glazed eyes looked hauntingly empty as Haruto stared blankly at Asami. Taking in Haruto's appearance, the man's clothes were disheveled and his hair messed.

"Did you hear me? Go ahead and do whatever it is you were going to do….I have nothing left anyway."

Asami's gaze turned eerily cold along with his voice, "What do you mean….nothing left?"

"He's gone damn it! He's gone!" Haruto started sobbing.

"You gave him up?" Asami growled.

"I had no choice!" Haruto continued to try to speak through his sobs and sniffles.

Asami yanked the man up by the front of his shirt, "Who! Who took Akihito?"

Haruto just shook his head repeating, "He's gone, my boy is gone."

"Asami held tight to the shirt, nose to nose with Haruto, "Tell. Me. His. Name."

"Ben….Ben…..jamin….Pruett," Haruto whispered and his whole body relaxed. He was done. He had officially given up.

"Kirishima!"

"I'm on it boss," he said firing up his laptop and connecting to the home network.

Asami tossed Haruto at Akira, "Take him home and sober him up. I want every detail."

"Yes boss."

"Boss, there's too many." Kirishima stated quickly.

"Akira wait! Bring Haruto here."

Once Haruto was brought over, Kirishima held the laptop in front of him.

"Now," Asami said angrily, "Look at the pictures. Which one is he?"

"I don't know," Haruto whined. His head was hazy and he was held up by Akira.

Asami grabbed his head and forced the man to focus on the computer screen while Kirishima scrolled through the DMV photos.

Haruto kept shaking his head. He knew that it was useless, that the man had already taken and possibly killed his son by now. His life was over, meaningless.

Suddenly, his eyes widened, "That's him," Haruto whispered, pointing a shaky finger at the screen.

"Akira, get him out of my sight," Asami growled.

An hour later, back at the Takaba residence, Kirishima said, "Boss, I got it."

Asami rushed over to the dining table and stood facing his loyal man, expectantly.

"Says here Pruett relocated with the banking firm he works for to Thailand to start up a branch office. Three months before he left, he changed his benefactor information so that everything he had would go to a woman from Thailand named Lawan. Just over seven months after Pruett left Thailand, she gave birth to a baby boy, Sawai. At the age of fourteen, the boy went missing."

"Pruett's kid was sold by Haruto." Asami stated.

"We need to go through Haruto's invoices and find out what happened to that boy." Asami ordered.

Haruto had heard bits and pieces of the conversation while nursing his terribly strong coffee but his mind was clearing and he hollered over at Asami.

"You never did tell me what your men were doing in my office."

"No, I didn't." Asami said and casually walked over to a chair, tumbler in hand. He took his time setting it down on the nearby table and lit a cigarette. As pissed off as Asami was at Haruto, he almost changed his mind about helping the stupid man but he reminded himself that this same idiot was Takaba's father and the boy loved his dad.

Asami proceeded to explain to Haruto that the yakuza, Isamu, was going down with the help of Haruto's evidence. Asami had discussed immunity for Haruto, by having the commissioner talk to the United States government. Asami still needed to set up Haruto's deposition within the next couple of days.

Haruto rested his elbows on his knees and dropped his head in his hands. "I couldn't do it. He….He told me….that he would let me have Aki back on one condition," Haruto sobbed.

"And what was that?" Asami said evenly. It was a good thing the man had impeccable control or he would have already choked the life out of Haruto. As it was, the man before him was completely broken. Nothing he could do would hurt the man more than he was at the fact that he just lost his son.

"I accepted him in a body bag." Haruto said gravely.

Asami pinched the bridge of his nose, "Explain just what happened."

"Well," Haruto said finally looking up though he was not focusing on anything in the room, he was remembering. "We went to the hotel as ordered by Pruett last night. At seven in the morning he texted me and told me to meet him down in the lounge. I did and he told me to give him the room key for the room _he_ had reserved for us. I swear I did try to stop it but I finally realized when he said his men were retrieving Aki even as we spoke that he had been stalling me to have time to take my son." Then with a somber expression Haruto said, "When I got back to the room….he was….he was….gone."

Asami took a deep breath, desperately trying to calm the rage within him. Haruto may have been quite the business man but he really was an idiot.

"Asami, you have to understand, I could not put a bullet in my own son."

Asami smirked, "Do you realize that he might have been better off that way rather than what he is probably enduring at the hands of that fucker?"

Haruto just dropped his head back in his hands.


	13. First Impressions 13

"So the kid was taken when he was fourteen years old and was born in July, we need to check any invoices and photos of the _merchandise_ starting with the year he turned fourteen and go through August of the next year." Asami told Kirishima and Haruto's security.

Haruto always took photos of his merchandise while they were held up in Thailand in the damp, dirty basement. Then he kept record of whom they were sold to. Fortunately, there were not nearly as many boys as there were girls that were taken so they narrowed the search down to nine prospects. The only glitch was that the boys' names were not of necessity to Haruto so he just assigned a number to them from the group picture.

XXX

For over two weeks, Asami flew around America trying to track down the correct boy. The eighth boy he went searching for was in Colorado. Asami and Kirishima landed at DIA midafternoon and rented a car, a BMW, of course. Then they headed to Highlands Ranch according to the address they had.

The house they arrived at looked just like every other cookie cutter house on the street. There was nothing out of the ordinary. According to their Intel, the man was a businessman in his late fifties who had purchased the suspected kid three years ago.

Asami casually knocked on the door with Kirishima at his side. Dressed as they were in their three-piece suits, they were intimidating enough but with their cold, indifferent expressions, they were even more so.

When Asami received no reply, he knocked again and rang the doorbell. They waited….and waited….

Finally, the sound of the deadbolt being unlocked was heard and the door slowly opened. Standing in the doorway was a thin young man. He was wearing a pair of tight jeans and fitted t-shirt. Kirishima lad learned how to say Sawai's name in Thai so he said it to see the boy's reaction.

Immediately, the boy started to shake and his eyes were huge. _He knows that name_, Asami thought at seeing the boy's reaction.

"How you know?" The boy's voice was shaky.

"Do you speak English?" Asami asked.

"Little."

"Do you understand, _home?_ We are taking you home."

The boy shook his head vigorously, "He be mad."

Asami simply pushed the boy aside, checking that the house was empty other than for the boy so he laid down the envelope, returning the man's money he had paid for the boy. Asami didn't care what the businessman thought when he returned home to an empty house, he got what he wanted, _leverage._

Now that they had the correct boy, the next step would be to find Pruett who had taken a leave of absence from work for two months. His only known address had turned up an empty apartment, at least empty of people.

They had been looking into any and all properties he had owned as well as monitoring any use of debit or credit cards and so far nothing had turned up. Somehow Pruett disappeared without any trace but Asami would not accept that, no, he would find them.

Another week drifted by and Asami was his usual calm, cold self, locking away his raging anger and fear deep within him in order to keep his mind clear. Something, just one mistake by Pruett and Asami would have him. With the extensive security of his own team and Haruto's, they would eventually come up with Pruett's whereabouts.

Unfortunately, Asami thought that would not be good enough for Takaba. The boy was so strong, had such fire in him that he just might survive whatever Pruett was putting him through. But if he didn't, Asami had a bullet with Pruett's name on it though he would first sell off Pruett's kid once again just for the sheer pleasure of breaking Pruett for the second time.

Asami spent too many hours thinking that Akihito could be serving as Pruett's pet at that very moment or Pruett could be torturing the wildcat, _his_ wildcat. Asami Ryuichi found himself doing something he had never done before, praying to a God he didn't believe in that his boy would be returned without that light having been distinguished. If it was….well….Asami was not going to think about that.

Day after day it was the same routine. Asami would check on any developments. When he entered the monitoring room the temperature dropped several degrees. The men were hard at work watching different monitors for any leads that may arise. Kirishima would meet with Asami in Haruto's office and go over the reports gathered since the previous day. Of course, Haruto was there too but he just slouched in the leather chair, guilt having broken the man completely.

Asami made sure that Margie and Kirishima kept Haruto fed and bathed but Asami had no sympathy for the man who would allow such a thing to happen to his son. If Akihito didn't love his father, the man would have been floating in the river long before now and he still might if Akihito does not forgive him.

Takaba Akihito was like a whirlwind that swept into Asami's life and ultimately consumed him, though no one knew it, not even Takaba. Asami wondered what Takaba was thinking. Did the boy hope to be rescued? Did he hope Asami came like he had before? Asami would not disappoint Takaba in that regard but time was running out the longer Takaba and Pruett were missing. The longer Pruett had the boy, the dimmer the flame.

The month of December was closing in when Kirishima came into the office, "Boss?"

"What is it?" Asami said, his cold icy stare in place.

"We might have something."

Asami immediately got up and headed for the monitoring room. Once inside, he saw some of the men scrambling around looking at papers and one computer screen intently.

"What did you find?" Asami asks evenly.

'Well boss, it seems that he has a cousin. He and Mike Peterson haven't spoken in quiet a while until recently. This Peterson guy also has a cabin in the mountains of Pennsylvania. It is not a place he uses apparently so I am waiting on confirmation that it is in use. We are in contact with the various utility companies now." Kirishima said. "If it is…."

"We leave immediately," Asami's voice was icy when he spoke, before he turned and left the room.

Suoh and Akira came up beside Kirishima, "So what do you think?"

"Isn't this the very reason he has his fuck buddies, no strings attached?" Akira asked.

"Well, it was," Kirishima replied.

Asami's men knew him. They knew that he had a call list with the names of men and women alike when he felt the need to vent his frustration through sex. The relationships were business arrangements and the _employees_ were paid for their time. He didn't need the kind of relationship that centered on emotions, that was just too complicated for his life. The last thing he needed were distractions, like Takaba.

Thirty minutes later, Kirishima opened the door to the office, "Someone's at that cabin boss."

Within an hour, Asami's team was heading out for Pennsylvania but the drive was nearly six hours so they settled in for the ride.

It was late when they arrived in the small mountain town of Summerville but that didn't faze Asami. They would go directly to that cabin and storm the place, bullets flying, if they had to.

They parked the SUV just down the road and silently walked towards the edge of the property. Luckily for them, the woods around the cabin hid them from view. Akira snuck around the perimeter to case the place before returning to the others.

"I see only one man out front on the porch but there are people inside. I just don't know how many."

"There can't be too many. This Pruett guy is an amateur so his security can't be that good." Asami replied. "Akira and Kirishima, you take the back. Suoh and I will go in the front."

They all checked that their earpieces were in place before they nodded to one another and split up. For Akira and Kirishima, the back door was easy since it was unoccupied. Akira was the muscle so he would go in first with Kirishima following. The same for Suoh and Asami, Suoh would go first.

"Ready," came Akira's quiet voice.

"Wait for my signal," Asami returned.

Suoh and Asami hid just to the side of the front of the cabin in the line of trees. Asami nodded as Suoh who was down on the ground, sniper rifle in place to take out the man at the door. One shot to get inside and that is all Asami needed.

A slight grunt and dull thud were all the noise the front man made when the bullet struck him and he fell. They waited….

No one inside seemed to hear what had transpired outside the front door so Suoh and Asami moved into position. Asami put his hand to his ear and softly said, "Now." At the same time he nodded to Suoh.

The rest happened fast, four men with their guns drawn came bursting through both the front and back doors at the same time, effectively startling the two men in the living room. Before either had time to draw his gun, both were shot. Having Akira and Suoh use silencers helped immensely. The last thing they needed was to draw attention to themselves and there were other cabins nearby.

Asami put up two fingers and motioned for Akira and Kirishima to check the two doors near them while he and Suoh check the two on their end. One of those four rooms held his Takaba and quite possibly Pruett. Since they had come in the kitchen and living room, those rooms were now clear. Akira grabbed the door handle gently and quietly turned the knob, empty bathroom. Asami and Suoh found an empty storeroom and bedroom.

"What the…." A voice was heard from the fourth room.

"Don't move. Boss!" Kirishima yelled, "We found them."

The cabin was small enough that it only took Asami a few strides to reach them but Kirishima stood in his way. Asami's eyes blazed as their gazes locked but Kirishima's expression was grim.

"Boss," his tone implied that what ever was beyond that door was not good. Akira had already entered and had his gun on Pruett.

"Move." That one single solitary word almost made Kirishima flinch by the steely tone in Asami's voice.

Kirishima closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and stepped aside.

Asami stepped in and froze. The entire cabin was silent save for the one word whisper, "Akihito."


	14. First Impressions 14

In the center of the room was a bed and on that bed was the bruised and bloody body of a young man with cuffs attached to both his ankles and wrists. If not for the fact that Asami _knew_ every curve and line on that body, he would never have recognized Takaba. His blood heated up like lava inside the volcano that was Asami and in one swift motion, his gun was pressed to the forehead of Benjamin Pruett, crouching on the floor with his pants unfastened and thankfully not pulled down enough to expose his goods. If they had been, Asami would probably have shot them off. As it was, his trigger finger was itchy and his patience had fled.

Finding Pruett's son was Asami's way of cleaning the mess up the nice way but obviously Pruett didn't want to play nice. It would have been so easy to just pull the trigger and blow the man's head off but torture was worse. Keeping Pruett alive would be far worse than to let him off easy. No, the bastard would pay for what he did to Takaba.

In the minute Asami took to turn his icy gaze on Pruett, it happened. If he had blinked he would have missed it, Takaba's chest moved, not much but it moved.

After that, things moved rather quickly as Asami ran to the bed, stripped off his suit coat covering the young man and scooped Takaba into his arms. Without stopping he headed straight for the SUV.

Calling over his shoulder as he left the bedroom, "Suoh, I'll take care of him later. Kirishima let's go!"

As Kirishima drove the SUV towards the nearest town with a hospital, Asami sat in the back cradling Takaba in his lap. He didn't care that his suit was getting soaked with blood, what bothered him was that it was Takaba's blood.

The lifeless body was covered in bruises of various stages of healing as well as dried and fresh blood, some of which was on his thighs, between his legs. That could only mean one thing, that fucking bastard had raped Takaba until he bled. Kirishima noted the worry in Asami's eyes through the rear view mirror as the older man spoke to the man in his arms.

"What did he do to you?" Asami said pressing his lips to the forehead of an unconscious Takaba.

Takaba's lips were slightly parted and his breathing shallow but at least he was breathing. His body was covered in bruises, slashes, and various welts. At some point he had been hit with an object, Asami surmised.

There was a rather large gash, one of the many, to Takaba's head that worried Asami. It appeared to have bled an awful lot. The dried blood was matted in his hair. Asami willed the SUV to go faster, to get them to a hospital as soon as possible.

Finally, after forty minutes, they arrived at the entrance to the Chambersville emergency room. Asami rushed through the automatic doors carrying his boy.

Seeing the older man come barging through the doors and the condition of the young man in his arms, security and the triage nurse immediately start the ball rolling and usher them through the restricted doors to a room with a gurney where Asami lays Takaba down. Within seconds the medical team of a doctor, three nurses, and respiratory technician are hovering around the young man.

Asami steps back out of their way as he watches them shout orders amongst the team. They no more than hooked the heart monitor up to Takaba when the beeping begins and Asami's heart plummets. The long continuous sound gave the room an eerie feeling for all of a second before the shouting began with several of the team talking at once.

"We are losing him!"

"Paddles!" (Pause) "Charging."

"We need Epi."

"Prepare to intubate."

Suddenly, a nurse appears in front of Asami, "Sir, I'm sorry but you will have to step outside."

She receives the _Asami glare_.

"Sir, if you don't I will have security remove you."

Asami locks gazes with her and knows that she means business so he reluctantly backs away before turning and walking down the hall a few steps where Kirishima is waiting.

There is a chair nearby and Asami sat down, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Boss, Haruto is on his way." Kirishima stated and received a deadly cold glare but continued, "Boss, he is strong and will pull through this." He saw the smirk, and said sternly, "Boss, permission to speak freely at the risk of being fired…..or worse."

Asami waved his hand motioning for Kirishima to continue.

"Look at you. This is why you don't do relationships. Your career doesn't allow it. Think about it."

Asami just stared as Kirishima pushed through the doors and walked out of the emergency department. Asami thought about those words. Kirishima was right and Asami always prided himself on his ability to manipulate and control all situations. That is what made him so good at his job. The last thing in the world that he needed was that wildcat who turned his world and emotions upside down. The wall that Asami had built around himself to lock away his feelings had been cracked by Takaba and it must be repaired if he was to continue his life.

"Sir," the nurse from earlier came up to him. "Mr. Takaba is stable now but he is in critical condition. He suffered multiple contusions to his skull causing swelling on the brain. We are still trying to determine if a section of his skull will need to be removed to ease the pressure. He also has some fractured ribs, and a broken arm. His back had cuts from what we determine was from the use of a whip. The next twenty-four hours are the most critical. He is intubated and sedated at this time. We will be moving him to an ICU room shortly."

"Thank you." Asami responded. "His father will be here soon. You'll need to talk to him."

Eight hours after Takaba was brought into the hospital, Asami passed Haruto at the automatic doors.

"Asami, thank you for rescuing my boy. I owe you a great deal."

"I will see to Pruett and his son. You get a second chance, use it wisely." Asami's expression was blank as he spoke.

Haruto nodded guiltily and watched Asami walk out the doors.

"Kirishima," Asami said getting into the SUV, "Take me to Pruett."

XXX

Asami entered the storage unit in that deserted section of town. There was a single light hanging from the middle of the ceiling. To one side of the unit there was a table with various sharp instruments and in the center was a chair with a bound and gagged man. They closed the door, Suoh, Akira, and Kirishima all present.

Asami said nothing, using the art of intimidation to instill even more fear into the man before him. The only sound was the echo of Asami's shoes on the concrete floor. The man had been punched a few times by the bruises to his face and he had been slouching in the chair until he heard movement, then his entire body tensed.

"So Benjamin Pruett," Asami said in a low and menacing tone. "Tell me why I should let you live?"

"I…..I did what I…..had to." He stammered.

"You possibly killed an innocent young man because you had to?" Asami chuckled wickedly.

No response.

Asami went to the table and took a small sharp blade in hand and then returned to Pruett. He pulled off the blindfold in order to frighten the man even more. Then he pressed the blade to one of Pruett's fingers that were splayed out on the arm of the chair.

Asami drew a thin line of blood across the man's pinky finger and said, "For many, retribution is given by first one's pinky and then other fingers respectively." Asami paused and took out his cigarettes, lighting one up and taking a long drag of it. "However, if you do not tell me what I want to know then I will take all ten fingers, right here, right now."

No response, but Pruett did start trembling. _Good, _Asami thought, _I want you to be afraid. _He pressed the blade down with more pressure.

"Ah, okay!" Pruett yelled when the blade penetrated his skin even more, the blood oozing out.

Asami raised a brow at the man and stepped back. He continued to smoke while he waited for the man to start talking, though he already knew the answer. Asami just wanted to torture the man for all he did to Takaba.

"I….I wanted revenge." Pruett said and his shoulders slumped in defeat. "Haruto, the bastard, took my son, sold him! He sold my son like some piece of livestock! He was only a boy!"

"So you took Haruto's son."

"Yes, yes, I wanted him to know what it felt like, what I felt like." Pruett insisted.

"Did Haruto kill your son?" Asami asked as he exhaled the smoke.

"I…..don't think so?"

"Then why did you torture his son?"

"Because…..he…..he was feisty…..he tried to …..get away. Many times."

"That does not give you the right to kill him. Do you realize that he might be dead at this very moment?" Irritation slipping into Asami's tone, though Asami severed contact with the Takaba family the moment he walked out the hospital doors so he didn't know Takaba's condition, if the young man was dead or alive. He was sure to hear about it sometime but he hoped it would be later rather than sooner.

"Serves Haruto right!" Pruett spat back.

Asami dropped his cigarette, stood and pressed his shoe over it. Then once he was directly in front of Pruett, he smirked.

"I have your son." Asami said evenly.

Pruett's eyes grew wide and he finally realized his precarious position.

"Please, please," Pruett bagged, "Do you have kids? Do you know what it is like to lose them? Please, anything, I will do anything just don't hurt him. Me, kill me, not him."

Asami watched the man grovel in front of him. Though he should just shoot the man, he was not completely heartless. No, he did not know what it was like to lose a child but had seen it many times before and it can destroy a person. He really could not blame Pruett for his actions against Haruto. Who's to say Asami would not do the same in his position.

"Please, your men took the flash drive with all the evidence against Haruto. I have nothing. I am done."

Asami punched Pruett and then pulled out his gun and pointed it at the man.

"No, please, my son." He begged.

_Bang_

"Ahhhh!" Pruett cried.

Asami shot him in the leg. Then he holstered his gun and turned to Suoh, "Give him a beating he won't forget. Then get he and his son out of my sight."

Suoh nodded and Asami left the storage unit with Kirishima in tow.

"Where to now boss?"

"To the penthouse. We have some new job offers to discuss." Case closed. Done. Over.

**No the story is not over. Thanks to all of you who are taking the time to read my stories and I whole-heartedly appreciate the reviews to let me know what you all think. Being a reader myself I try to review for the sake of the writer. **

**On another note, if anyone has an idea or would like to role play a story, please let me know by private message. I have never done it but my daughter does it a lot and it seems interesting. If you do not know what that is, it's when a writer is one character and another writer is the other character. You don't always know what to expect as the characters interact-kind of fun.**

**Thanks again for reading.**

**XOXO**


	15. First iImpressions 15

**Christmas Eve**

Takato had family coming in from Japan for the holidays but Kou didn't so that was why he ended up lounging on the couch at the Takaba residence with Aki. Kou had always been the sensitive type even though most of the time, he lived carefree and oblivious to everything around him. This was one of his sensitive moments as he celebrated the holiday with his healing friend.

For the most part, Takaba just had to wait for his fading bruises to go away and the various cuts from the whip and beating to heal completely. Oh yeah, he also had a cast on his right arm. After over three weeks in the hospital, Takaba was glad to be home, well sort of. Since Haruto always had a New Year's Eve party, they stayed in on Christmas. The problem for Takaba was that everywhere he looked, the image of Asami appeared just as he would be if he had been there.

While Takaba was still in the hospital, Haruto had explained everything that had happened. He had told his son about the Yakuza, the human trafficking, Pruett's revenge, and most importantly, Asami fixing the entire mess, including Takaba's rescue. That should have made Takaba feel better about the older man but it didn't. He was gone, without a word he just left. As for Haruto, his son loved him even though he really should hate the man.

Asami's leaving should not have bothered Takaba since he hated the older man for making him have sex, _want _sex _with Asami._ Now it all seemed like a fleeting dream. It all happened so fast and in such a short amount of time that Takaba didn't have time to think. Lately, that was all he was doing, thinking of Asami. Though he would not admit it, he missed the sense of security Asami gave him _and_ the feel of the older man's touch. Although he had never been addicted to drugs or anything, he felt like he knew what they went through during withdraws. He was going through something similar, but his drug was Asami. His body craved what Asami gave him, but did that mean there was just a physical attraction or was it something more. _It couldn't be more_, Takaba thought to himself, _I barely know him. Then why do I feel this tightness in my chest? Maybe I just need closure?_

"Come on Aki, let's battle!" Kou said in a voice like the German general character he was playing on the Xbox.

Takaba snapped out of his deep thoughts and laughed, "You will not defeat me, even with one arm." he said, mimicking a deep voice like he imagined his warrior having. It was difficult for Takaba to hold the controller with a cast but he would master that. At least Kou was a pleasant distraction.

Haruto had gotten to know one of Takaba's nurses from the hospital and she had come up to spend the evening with them also. After dinner and the presents had been exchanged however, they took the opportunity to go elsewhere in the house to be alone.

**The day after Christmas**

Takaba was not pleased with his father for insisting that he see a therapist. The last thing Takaba wanted to do was rehash all that had happened to him, but his father was already worried about the fact that Takaba had been put on an anti-depressant and an anti-anxiety medication upon discharge from the hospital. He didn't like the thought of his son having to take drugs for his mental health so he ha contacted a therapist to help Takaba. Maybe then his son could get off the drugs sooner. The problem was that Haruto already _knew_ one way to help his son but that was not an option at this point.

**Flashback of Takaba's first night home**

"Goodnight," Takaba told his father and headed up to his room.

Haruto simply stared warily at his son. He hated night time for Takaba, though the young man would sleep, it would not be restful for him. Takaba blamed his tiredness on the drugs but Haruto had been with his son every night since arriving at the hospital on that horrific night and knew that his dreams were what was making him tired.

"Mmm…..no…..help me Asami….." Takaba mumbled in his sleep while Haruto stood just inside the doorway to his son's room.

"Asami…..I need you…" Takaba said as he thrashed about in his bed.

Every night, Haruto would listen to Takaba's pleas, his calls for help from Asami. But not all were cries to be rescued.

"Please…..Asami…..harder….." He would moan as he clutched the bed sheets.

"Fuck me, Asami, please!" Takaba shouted that first night home and Haruto was completely stunned in disbelief.

Of course, he didn't know anything had happened between his son and Asami, maybe it didn't? Maybe it was just Takaba's mind was so distorted from his ordeal that he was imagining it?

"Please, make me forget…..only you…..only you…..I see only you…." Takaba would chant over and over, writhing in discomfort, his body searching for that warmth but ultimately remaining cold.

Haruto struggled with the secret knowledge and had not told his son what he had heard come out of the young man's mouth when he was asleep. Apparently, by morning, Takaba had either forgotten or was keeping his dreams a secret from his father, the revelations that slipped off Takaba's tongue, flying away through the night air seemingly unheard.

**End of flashback**

"I realize that you don't want to talk to a therapist but I think it might do you some good." Haruto said on the way to the woman's office.

"Really?" Takaba's tone sarcastic, "What makes you think I don't want to go? Oh yeah, when I said, 'I DON'T WANT TO TALK TO A THERAPIST.' Besides, I have the drugs the doctor gave me so why do I have to do this?"

Obviously, Takaba was not too against the idea because he was a grown man and could just not go, but he was in the car and on his way there regardless.

Defiant as ever, Takaba would continue to grumble about it even if he had changed his mind and now thought it a good idea.

The waiting room was cold and generic with a reception desk and some chairs in the small entry area. They both stood when a woman came through a door they had been facing.

"Hello, I am Dr. Stevens." She smiled at the two men.

"Hello, I am Haruto and this is my son, Akihito."

After introductions, Takaba followed the woman through the door to another door where her office was located. Once inside she offered him a seat on the couch and took the chair opposite him. She thought it best to be informal and had the seating area arranged to make clients more comfortable.

"Now then Akihito, I have read your file and spoken with your father. Why don't you tell me how I can help you?"

"I don't know that I need help." He responded.

Dr. Stevens eyes were curious as she studied the young man, "Maybe not but why don't we humor your father for now."

Dr. Stevens had been hired for her discreetness after speaking with Haruto. She had been told about the first kidnapping and the second. She had also been told that the situation had been dealt with outside of the legal system. He didn't offer details and she did not ask but Haruto had paid her well for her silence. He did mention Asami as well and Takaba's dreams. Though he didn't know what exactly went on between his son and the bodyguard, something had and with Takaba calling for the older man in his dreams, Haruto wanted to know. Obviously Asami had more to do with Takaba's state of mind than what the young man let on.

"Tell me about this bodyguard, Asami Ryuichi." She said and watched Takaba's eyes widen at the mention of the name.

He rubbed his neck with his hand and chuckled nervously, "Tell you what? He was part of the security team."

"He was more than that. He was your _personal_ bodyguard." She said, studying the way the young man fidgeted during the conversation.

"Yeah, well, he did his job and that's that." Takaba snapped, eyes lit with fire.

"Is it?" She pushed.

For a brief second, sadness flashed in those huge hazel eyes but then it was gone, replaced with anger.

"Akihito please, I am only here to help you. It's just you and me here right now. So tell me, do you miss him?"

Takaba laughed and stood up, shifting from one foot to the other, "That bastard? Of course not!"

"You are angry at him. Why?"

"Because he…..he…..just because!" Takaba stammered and went to the window staring in wonder about where the older man was at that moment.

"Do you miss him?" she said softly.

Takaba took a deep breath to fight the tears threatening to spill, "N….No," came the quiet response.

"Well, maybe we should leave that for now," she said and Takaba turned, glaring at her.

Then Dr. Stevens stared at Takaba directly in the eye, "Maybe then you will answer me truthfully."

_Oh lady, bring it on,_ thought Takaba. What did she know anyway? She knew nothing about he and Asami and he wasn't going to tell her. No, Asami was not going to be their topic of discussion.

"Our time is up for today, Akihito, but we will talk more next week." She smiled.

Oh yeah, they would talk alright but not about Asami. Takaba met up with his father and they headed to the car. Collins pulled up out front and they got into the car.

Across the busy street, a BMW with black windows sat idly. The occupant watching every move the two men made, noting their expressions and body language. Then, when Takaba and his father disappeared into the vehicle, the mysterious man waved his own driver on. Though the Takaba's were oblivious to the fact that they were being watched, the man in the car was watching and would continue to do so, for now…

**So who is watching them? Is there another bad guy lurking around or is it someone they know? Ha, ha, just trying to spice things up. Anyway, thanks for the continued support and will have another chapter out in a couple of days if all goes well.**


	16. First Impressions 16

**New Year's Eve**

The party in the reception hall of the hotel was in full swing. The hotel staff had decorated the entire room in black and gold with huge TV screens that showed the Dick Clark special while people mingled. The theme of the night was a casino night so there were poker tables, black jack tables, craps, and even a few slot machines brought in though the proceeds were going to charity. Haruto had invited his business acquaintances, friends, and of course, Takaba and Kou. The room held the hundred and fifty guests comfortably.

Takaba spotted Kou over by the bar with a girl on either side of him and he was beaming with happiness. Kou loved getting attention from girls, reveled in it. Takaba smiled and shook his head at his friend. Kou was having a good time and Takaba was glad for that.

He, however, was not. A few girls had hit on him during the course of the evening but he just wasn't into it. Although he was a man with a healthy libido, there was only one way to satisfy it, _or one person anyway_, and that person was not anywhere to be found.

As Takaba mingled with the people at the party, playing the dutiful son of the CEO, he searched the crowd knowing he would not find the one face he sought. That face with those piercing golden eyes that plagued his mind night after night, day after day. Why couldn't he forget the older man? Why wouldn't his _body_ forget the older man? Ever since Asami had come into his life and gave his body something sinful, yet oh so pleasurable, Takaba found that the kinds of girls that previously aroused him, didn't anymore. It was like Asami had switched him over to the other side, a side he didn't want to think about.

That only made him Asami's uke and there was nothing manly in that. Takaba did have his pride after all but when he was around Asami, he felt inferior. He had felt like Asami thought of him as a child not a grown man with a career of his own. Again, if he didn't even like the guy, why wouldn't Asami Ryuichi go away!

Takaba was getting worked up by the second around all the people, the celebrating, and the lack of a certain suited man. Along with the flashbacks of his torture at the hands of Pruett that would also not go away, Takaba was quickly losing control as he had several times over the past week since coming home. Everything was still all jumbled in his head.

He strode to the coatroom and retrieved his flight jacket, scarf, and gloves after handing the man a ticket. Then he carefully made his way through the crowd to avoid gaining his father's or Kou's attention. The latter made him chuckle, Kou was so engrossed with his two women he wouldn't know if a train went through the center of the room in that moment.

He didn't care that it was almost midnight, in fact, standing out in the cold of the patio when it happened suited him just fine. He wanted to be alone anyway. The staff had even decorated the patio with lights, streamers, and shiny black and gold globes.

Takaba didn't see anyone on the path to either side of him, _good, I can be alone._ He headed toward the lighted gazebo and walked up the steps. With shaking hands, Takaba frantically grasped the bottle of Xanax and tore off the lid. He downed two pills without having anything to drink, closed the bottle, and stuck it back in his pocket. Then he closed his eyes willing away the pain, both physical and mental.

So far in his thoughts as he leaned on the railing, that he didn't hear or see the man approaching in the dimly lit gazebo until it was too late.

He was swung around, just as the count down could be heard, "…4…3…2…1…"

"Happy New Year, Akihito." Asami said, eyes sparkling wickedly. Suddenly, Takaba was yanked by the front of his coat, his lips crushed to Asami's as the older man devoured him. The faint sound of cheering and Auld Lang Syne was in the background but the two men in the gazebo were too consumed in one another to notice the festivities.

Takaba was tense from being spun around but as soon as Asami's lips touched his, he melted into a puddle of goo. He returned the kiss urgently, hungrily but Asami was the one in charge and he took control. He held Takaba to him and slowly removed his hand to wrap both arms around the young man's waist. Their bodies pressed together, tongues battling as time seemed to stand still.

When they broke apart, Takaba was breathless, speechless, and frozen where he stood with bewilderment on his face. Asami smirked and watched as the kitten morphed into the wildcat right before his very eyes. Takaba's gaze narrowed and he wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"Bastard. What the hell do you think you are doing?" Takaba hissed. You can't just waltz in here and kiss me like that."

"I can. And I did."

Defiance made Takaba's eyes glow in the dimly lit gazebo. "Where the hell have you been? Why…..why even come here? Why now?"

"Why not?"

Because…..I…..you….." Takaba stammered and unconsciously took the bottle out of his pocket, rolling it around in one hand that was a nervous quirk he had picked up during the past week. It was his security, even if he could not take anymore for a while.

Asami, however, quickly snatched it from the young man's grasp and looked it over, memorizing every word on the label.

Takaba thought it his imagination it was so fleeting, a glimpse of what? Sorrow in Asami's expression? No, it had been his imagination because Asami didn't feel_ anything_, let alone sorrow.

He had told his team that since the Takaba case was over, he was not to be brought up again. But that day he had simply stopped for a coffee when he saw the car and then Takaba and his father emerge from the building across the street. He had told Kirishima to wait before having him drive off, though Asami never mentioned the Takaba name. Kirishima was no idiot and had seen the direction of Asami's gaze that day but wisely kept it to himself.

That was what compelled the older man to take a chance and show up at the party. He was not invited and it just happened by chance that Takaba came outside at the precise moment he did.

"Give those back." Takaba hissed.

"You need these? Do they help?" Asami asked curiously.

Takaba laughed nervously, not wanting to appear weak in front of the older man, "Oh you know, the doctor just gave them to me just in case."

Of course, Asami could read Takaba like a book and knew he was lying. The younger man was having a hard time dealing with the torture he received at the hands of Pruett. Asami held his hand out flat with the bottle in it and Takaba snatched it up. He stuffed it into his pocket and stared at the older man. Asami stepped closer again, their lips only an inch apart.

"I….I have to go." Takaba said and darted around Asami all but running back to the doors of the hotel. Just inside, he leaned back against the wall to catch his breath. He needed to calm down, not only his mental state but his physical one too.

The room and the people in it were a swirl of colors before Takaba's eyes. Recently, that is what had been happening when the young man's anxiety acted up and he was going to pass out. He willed himself to remain against the wall for support fighting the darkness that wanted to consume him and the craving that had been awakened from just one kiss.

Outside in the cold stood the older man in his suit and over coat staring after his boy, his expression cold, indifferent. It had to be done, he had to walk away and not look back. So be it.

Asami walked along the path, nodding to his men to follow, that his business there was done. Again Asami had let his guard down, had he not; he would have noticed the eyes watching he and Takaba. Those eyes had seen the kiss and that information was of the highest value, especially to the man's employer. The man hiding in the shadows reached for his phone and called his employer.

"It's me. Yes. I saw them kissing. Okay. Goodbye."

After hanging up his phone, the man slunk back into the shadows and disappeared.


	17. First Impressions 17

_Here we go again,_ thought Takaba, as he and his father entered Dr. Stevens's office. Another session with the good doctor was the last thing Takaba wanted. He had to get back to work, to his life.

"Hello, Akihito."

"Hey," he said flopping down on the couch.

"So lets start at the beginning, the first kidnapping. Shall we?"

"Whatever," Takaba shrugged.

"How did you feel when they took you?"

"Oh you know, it was fantastic being punched, bound, blindfolded, and tossed in a hotel room with a crazy perverted madman." Takaba laughed.

"Akihito," Dr. Stevens sighed, "I need you to work with me here if I am to help you." Pause, "Now, were you scared?"

"Who wouldn't be?" Takaba said irritated.

"But you were strong. Even though he raped you, you escaped when you had the chance. That is very commendable."

When she said the r-word Takaba cringed. That word left a sour taste in his mouth so he preferred not to say it. But suddenly, Asami entered his mind, that first time with the older man.

"Takaba, how did it make you feel to be violated by another man?" Dr. Stevens said curiously.

"It….it was….it was wrong," he stammered. He believed that in reference to Pruett but not Asami. They were different. Everything about how both men had touched him, spoke to him was different.

"So there was no time that you enjoyed any of it?"

"No! No, it was…..it was…..awful." Takaba said and he heard his own words so he was confused as to why he wasn't more upset about it like he was that first week after it happened. He closed his eyes and saw those golden orbs staring at him. In his mind he heard the echo, _look only at me._

"So after that your father heightened security. How did you feel about being watched so closely? Did you feel invaded by the men your father hired?"

Takaba chuckled, invaded was an understatement. But then again, he felt safe too. And on occasion, he felt _really good._

"Nah," he lied, "I am use to it."

"According to your father, you didn't care much for this Asami fellow."

"Nope, I didn't…..don't," He corrected. But in true Takaba form, he started fidgeting and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"You went through a lot during that second kidnapping and were rescued by Asami. How do you feel about he and his men being the ones to find you all battered and beaten like that?"

Her words brought it all back in an instant. He was back there in that small room hearing his own broken voice chanting, "Asami…..help me…..Asami…..please help me…..find me….."

Suddenly, Dr. Stevens saw Takaba's eyes go unfocused and his body start shaking. She was fast on her feet and next to him.

"Akihito! Akihito!" She said loudly.

The flashback was so vivid. Takaba felt the whip strike his back splitting open his flesh. The sting got worse each time the whip struck him. He could smell his own blood being spilled. But the pain…..the pain was too much.

He struggled and struggled to fight his restraints to no avail, the skin on his wrists and ankles getting raw, chafed. He could not move, could not escape as Pruett climbed on top of him and fucked him dry. Though his back had gone numb, he could feel all of Pruett inside him, tearing him apart, violently thrusting into him.

"No, no, no, no, no! Stop, please stop." He cried. "Asami! Asami help me!" Takaba squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head frantically, "Asami take it away, all of it. Make me forget."

Haruto had been in the waiting room but his son's screams had him bolting from the chair and through the door. When he saw his son sitting there, tears streaming down his face, Haruto's heart shattered. He ran to his son and fumbled around until he found the bottle of Xanax. Then he quickly opened it and took two pills out, feeding them to his son who appeared to be in shock.

"Aki, here, these will make you feel better. Here, take them," he said and placed them in Takaba's mouth.

Then he glanced at the therapist, "What the hell happened?"

"We were just talking when he seemed to have a flashback. We can stop here for today." She said.

After waiting a few moments, Takaba seemed to relax, his tense muscles easing up. Haruto got in his son's face.

"Aki, can you hear me?"

Takaba blinked a few times and then focused on his father. Then he nodded slowly.

"Good, come on. Let's go home." Haruto said wrapping a protective arm around his son and leading him out of the office.

By the following week, Takaba was back to work, though his boss was treating him like a child. _What? Did everyone in his life take a class in that or something?_

"I can handle it!" Takaba balked.

"Sorry Aki, but Danny is taking this one."

Aki threw up his arms, exasperated with his boss and stormed out of the room. He went to his desk and read over the coming events that he was to cover. At least the gallery show might be interesting. He was a fellow artist after all. Though he didn't paint, Takaba could capture a moment in time the way no one else could.

Takaba's phone buzzed. Kou had texted.

AKI, MEET AT THE LOFT 9PM-KOU

K-AKI

The loft was a nice dance club and Takaba had not really been out like that with his friends since he had come home from the hospital. He would have to go without his pills though since he could not take them while drinking. He could do it! He had to do it!

"Hey dude," Kou said when Aki came up to the high table where he and Takato were sitting with Takato's girlfriend, Kisha.

"Hey guys….and girl," Takaba said, taking a seat.

"Wow, look at you," Kou teased.

"Oh shut up," Takaba replied.

He hadn't really dressed up or anything he just threw on a pair of jeans, his black boots, black t-shirt, and mint green button up shirt, unbuttoned, of course.

He didn't accessorize much but did wear his silver chain around his neck. He had only been there a few minutes but several girls had already glanced his direction and smiled.

"Well guys, can't keep the ladies waiting," Takaba said and headed to the dance floor leaving his half empty beer bottle behind.

Once on the dance floor, Takaba let lose. He let the music penetrate his body, moving it with the flow of the beat. Takaba loved music and could completely lose himself in it. He closed his eyes, feeling it. A couple of women came to dance near him. When he opened his eyes and saw them he smiled that huge cheeky grin that had them nearly swooning.

Of course, Kou could not just sit back and let Takaba have all the fun so he danced up to his friend and the two women, joining them. The women didn't seem to mind and made room for him on the crowded floor. Everyone around him felt the energy that radiated from Takaba as he moved fluidly.

Upstairs, behind one-way glass, stood the current owner of the club and the prospective buyer. The buyer had not been sure about the venture since a nightclub was a bit out of his element but it was a business and a profitable one at that. But the deciding factor came when he stared out onto the dance floor below and the young man shown like a beacon in the night, the light from him blinding.

Asami smirked, "I'll take it," he said casually. Then he headed straight for the door of the office, a man on a mission. The lion found his prey at the bar and silently came up behind Takaba while his back was turned.

As soon as Takaba had his next beer in hand he turned and almost crashed into the brick wall of fine Italian fabric, his eyes wide when he hesitantly glanced up.

The smirk set him off, claws out and ready to defend himself.

"Do you understand the concept of _personal space_, overbearing bastard, because I don't exactly have any at this moment." Takaba hissed.

The impassive expression and even tone accompanied Asami's reply, "And you'll have even less than that in the next five minutes."

Takaba's eyes widened in panic as Asami took hold of his elbow and whispered in his ear, "Don't gain attention or I'll make sure to give them a good show."

Takaba had thought to struggle but Asami's words stopped him and he went limp, allowing the older man to direct him through the crowd to a staircase. At the top were some tables and another bar but near the back were three doors all labeled _private._ Asami opened one and entered. After they were inside the dimly lit room with various chairs and couches, Asami shut the door and locked it.

"What the hell are you doing," Takaba hissed.

But Asami simply ignored the younger man, pushing Takaba's back to the wall, and leaning in until his mouth was right next to the young man's ear. Asami's body pinned Takaba in place.

Takaba glared at the older man and bared his teeth, seething with anger. When the only response he got was another smirk, Takaba turned his head to the side avoiding those penetrating golden eyes.

"You look scared. Are you afraid?" Asami purred in Takaba's ear.

But Asami misread the trembling body beneath him and the rosy blush on the pale cheeks. It wasn't fright, but arousal of the most painful kind. Takaba fought to deny it.

"Let me, mmm…" Takaba was cut of from his protest as Asami's lips captured his and his tongue plunged deep into the young man's mouth. The kiss was brutal, bruising Takaba's lips. They were red and swollen when Asami pulled back to look at his adorable blushing boy.

With eyes heavy lidded and a hoarse voice, Takaba said, "A….Asa…..mi."

Again the older man crushed his lips. Takaba was breathless and dizzy so he reached out to clutch the front of Asami's suit coat, needing something to hold himself up.

Asami didn't have much time so his lips moved to the young man's neck, biting him, marking him. Then the shirt yanked off, the t-shirt pushed up and Asami devoured the already hard nipple. He was not gentle but bit and sucked on the sensitive nub.

Panting, Takaba writhed beneath the older man, his moaning was music to Asami's ears. But he didn't dally long, stripping the young man of his jeans and briefs as his mouth found the young man's wet tipped cock.

"Oh God…..please….." Takaba begged, all conscious thought had fled his mind.

Takaba's fingers entwined in the chestnut hair while Asami continued to eagerly suck him off. Asami needed to ravage his boy like never before so he abruptly stood and captured Takaba's lips once again. In one fluid motion, he grabbed both legs, pulling them up around his waist and then brutally grasped Takaba's hips. He impaled Takaba on his throbbing thick cock fast and hard.

"AHHHH…." Takaba cried out against Asami's mouth from the pain of the dry penetration.

But Asami immediately began thrusting into Takaba's tight ass over and over again, relentlessly while Takaba clutched the older man around the neck.

Between each breathless pant Asami said, "You (hah) are (hah) mine (hah)!"

"Prove (hah) it (hah)," Takaba hissed.

"Say it (hah) Akihito, (hah)."

"Fuck me…..oh God…..Asami, fuck me," he cried.

Asami slammed into Takaba so hard and fast that Takaba's mind went white and he saw stars dancing around his head.

Asami held Takaba with one arm while he pumped the young man's throbbing cock with the other.

"Ah….Ah….Ahhhh, Asami…." Takaba screamed as he came with such intensity, the liquid pulsing out of him almost painfully.

A Takaba's body shuddered from his explosive climax, Asami buried himself all the way to the hilt repeatedly until his own orgasm exploded within the tight heat of the young man. As Asami emptied all his pent up frustration, he held the younger man still impaled on his cock.

Takaba's entire body went limp suddenly as he the young man passed out in Asami's arms. He moved them to one of the couches before lying Takaba down. He pulled up his pants and then dressed his sleeping boy. Then he sat down and lit a cigarette.

Takaba woke almost an hour later. He sat up, groggy and confused until he saw the older man sitting casually in a chair staring at him with a drink in one hand and cigarette in the other.

That's when he got angry, " You Goddamn bastard." Takaba hissed, jumping up off the couch. "You…..you….." He glanced around frantically and then bolted for the door.

Asami's lips curled in amusement as he stared at the empty doorway. _Until next time, my cute Akihito._


	18. First Impressions 18

The man in the black suit took out his phone and wandered over to a clear corner to make his call. The gallery was full of people but only two were of interest to him and those two just out of the display room and down the hall, only to enter a private room.

"Madam, it's me. They both came to the gallery. Takaba is photographing it for a magazine but Asami came with a woman who is speaking with some other people at this time."

"So they are alone?" The Madam on the other end of the line asked.

"Yes. I will wait here until their return." He spoke.

"Yes you will and I want to know how long they are gone." She demanded.

"Of course," he replied and the line went dead.

XXX

Forty-five minutes later, the door to the private room opened and Asami walked out shutting the door quietly behind him. Not once did Asami look in the man's direction as he joined his woman once again. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary for the older man.

Ten minutes later, Takaba came out of the room looking a little disheveled. His hair was messed up a bit and he was walking carefully, wincing slightly as he did so.

_Almost a week, _Takaba thought,_ almost a week since that night at the club and now this. What the hell is he up to? I am not some fuck toy for him to use when his big-ass cock gets hard. _

The two times that Asami had gotten his way with Takaba, he never said much but fucked him hard. As if the young man was not screwed up enough in the head, these _meetings_ didn't make it any better. For a while it would help but then Takaba would begin to miss the bastard and get all nerved up again. Asami didn't give comfort, at least not in the way that most people did but in Takaba's twisted mind, it helped. For a few days to come, Takaba would stand in front of the mirror staring at the marks left behind by Asami. It made the wounds from his kidnapping fade into the background.

Though he would never admit it aloud, he was angry and hurt that Asami used him and didn't care about him. How long was Takaba going to let Asami treat him that way?

The young man did his best to ignore the bastard in the room as he took up his camera and started clicking away again. Asami didn't once glance in his direction but always knew where the young man was.

Thankfully, Asami and his woman left fairly soon after their round of sex so Takaba did not have to see the woman hanging on Asami's arm and obviously flirting with him. _Was he going to spend the night with her?_ Takaba shook his head; _it's none of my business. Damn bastard can do what he wants. I. Don't. Care._

After the gallery shoot was over it was nearly midnight but Takaba was restless. He couldn't go home so he wandered the streets, reveling in his own pity.

Suddenly, he looked around and realized he was lost._ Shit, now what?_ He didn't want to use the subway so he decided he had to hail a cab but before he had the chance, three thugs approached him.

"Hey guys, " Takaba chuckled nervously.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here." Said one of the men.

"Yeah, looks like Daddy's little boy found his way to the wrong side of town."

"Look guys, I don't want any trouble….I'll just go," Takaba said and started to back up slowly.

But the three men laughed, "Oh I don't think so kid. Why don't you hand over Daddy's money."?

Takaba stood still for all of thirty seconds before bolting. He ran as fast as he could but the men were right on his heels. He turned and ran down a dark alley, climbed the fence blocking the end and took off again. The men stopped at the fence, surprised at how the kid nearly leapt over the metal fence like a monkey. Being a criminal photographer did have its positive sides and Takaba had learned how to out run and out smart the criminals he had run from in the past.

He found himself exhausted from his run and standing on a street in a better part of town with a row of skyscrapers lining it. He didn't want to bother his father that late at night so he stood on the steps to one of the buildings. He glanced at the name plaques and froze. _Shit, no way!_ The top one read Asami Ryuichi. Takaba glanced up at the tall building. _Is this where he lives? I wonder if he is still with that woman? Walk away Akihito just walk away._

But his feet would not move and before he knew it, his finger was on the buzzer.

"Yes," Came that mind-numbing baritone voice though it sounded different, sleepy.

"Uh….Uh….sorry, I think I got the wrong place." Takaba stammered.

"Takaba? Is that you?" The voice fully awake now.

"Ha, ha, ha, yeah," He replied nervously.

"Don't run off!" Came the stern order and within a few seconds, Akira was at the door buzzing the young man in.

Takaba hung his head and didn't say anything, just followed when Akira turned around in the lobby, went to the elevator and pushed the button.

When they reached the top floor, Akira stepped of the elevator and to the only door on that level. The door was ajar and he motioned for Takaba to go in.

"Thanks," Takaba said softly, took a deep breath, and entered the penthouse.

Asami was in the living room sitting on the couch in his robe and slippers, holding a drink. Takaba had never seen him like that with his hair messed up from sleep and without his suit. _God he is gorgeous! Wait, what am I thinking, shut up!_

"What are you doing here?" Asami's voice was low, even.

"I was just in the neighborhood so, you know, thought I would say hi," Takaba said sheepishly.

But the older man did not appear to be amused. He raised one perfectly groomed brow at Takaba, expectantly.

"Okay, okay, I was almost mugged, outran the dudes, and ended up here. I didn't know you lived here so it was a total accident." The more he spoke, the angrier he became. "Hey, you let me in, bastard, you didn't have to do that."

"Come here Takaba," Asami purred.

"What? No," he shook his head violently, "No way! You are not getting anywhere near my ass!"

"You need to get home, right? I can drive you…..but it will cost you." Asami's eyes narrowed deviously.

Takaba raised his chin, "What?"

Asami set down his drink, pulled the belt of his robe lose, and let the robe fall open. Then he took his thick hard cock in his hand.

Takaba's eyes were huge at the implication of what Asami wanted him to do. Takaba was unaware that it was a test. Just by Takaba being there proved quite a bit but now he would give the young man a choice and see where it led.

"Oh no….no way! I am not…." Takaba hissed.

"You are not _what_? Gay?" Asami asked.

"NO," Takaba shook his head again to reiterate his point. "No I'm not."

"Fine," Asami shrugged, "Then you are free to leave."

Takaba glanced between Asami and the door a few times while shifting from one foot to the other and rubbing his hand on the back of his neck.

Asami sat calmly watching the myriad of expressions that crossed the young man's face as Takaba fought internally about what to do. He wanted so badly to deny his true feelings. Asami had done so many things to him and he _had_ thought about what Asami would sound like, look like, while Takaba pleasured him but doing it would be admitting something that the young man was not sure he wanted to face.

He had a choice, he could just walk out but would that mean the end? Officially? _I will do it to get home. Yeah, keep telling yourself that and maybe one day you will believe it._

Hazel eyes narrowed in sheer determination and the young man's body trembled as he took one slow step forward….then another….then another….until he was directly in front of Asami, the older man having to look up to hold his gaze.

_Look at me, look only at me, _echoed in Takaba's head and his expression immediately turned sultry and heated. His cheeks were pink and his eyelids heavy as he placed his hands on Asami's knees and slowly knelt down.

There was a hint of amusement in Asami's eyes but his expression otherwise deadly serious, as their gazes remained locked on one another.

Takaba took a deep breath before raising his hand to replace Asami's.

"I've never…." Takaba's voice shaky and his throat suddenly dry as he lowered his eyes.

Asami's gaze turned thoughtful, "Look at me Akihito, " he purred and Takaba raised his eyes, "Show me how adorable you look with my cock in your mouth. Suck me, Akihito."

Takaba licked his lips and took Asami's length into his mouth. His movements awkward and without feeling at first, he just wasn't getting into it but as soon as Asami's jaw clenched and his brows dipped just slightly in the middle, Takaba's confidence level spiked and he was lost.

_He_ was causing Asami to come undone. _He_ was the one to break through that indifferent mask causing the older man to lose control, even if it was barely noticable.

As he bobbed his head up and down making Asami slick with his saliva, he could hear the now labored breathing, see the strain that Asami was fighting to keep hidden. One of Asami's hands was on the arm of the couch and through his peripheral vision; Takaba saw that hand clutch to the leather. His other hand went into Takaba's hair and he used it to control the speed at which Takaba's head was bobbing.

Takaba began to moan around the throbbing cock in his mouth and Asami pushed harder, gagging the younger man occasionally. But Takaba was not about to stop with the animalistic look Asami gave him. Eagerly he sucks harder, faster, wanting to see the older man come completely undone.

Takaba heard the familiar grunt….and then another….. Suddenly, Asami pushed down hard on Takaba's head forcing him to take the tip deep in his throat. That was when Takaba felt the warm liquid shoot out over and over again. Unable to pull free of Asami's hold, Takaba was forced to swallow or choke so he swallowed…..and swallowed.

Asami was not one to show his emotions so his heated expression did not change much other than his strained look and low guttural grunt but it was enough for Takaba.

When Asami had completely emptied himself into the young man he loosened his grip on Takaba's head and the young man pulled away from the softening cock, glaring at Asami.

"You….you could have told me!" He hissed, referring to Asami's lack of notice before he came.

"The taste of _me _will remain in your mind." Asami stated.

Takaba pushed off the floor and stood up, "I can get home myself," he hissed and walked toward the door but the way Asami said, "Takaba," had the young man stopping cold in his tracks but not turning around.

Asami grabbed his phone that was sitting on the table next to the couch, "Akira, Takaba will need a ride home."

"That's it? We're done?" Takaba questioned. Asami had been the only one to get satisfaction from what he did. Takaba however, was rock hard from the whole experience.

Asami got up and made his way to Takaba, leaning so close that Takaba could feel Asami's breath on his ear, "You want more?"

"I….I want…."

"You want?"

"You," Takaba whispered.

"You want me to what?" Asami urged.

"I want you to….to…." Takaba lowered his head until his forehead was against Asami's chest and whispered, "fuck me."

Asami grabbed Takaba by his arms and slammed him against the wall, yanking at the younger man's lower clothing. Takaba eagerly stepped out of them and wrapped his arms around Asami's neck. Then he pulled himself up, wrapping his legs around Asami's waist.

Asami had gotten hard again by Takaba's plea and wasted no time thrusting into the young man whose cry nearly shook the foundation of the building.

"AHHHHH! SHIT!" Takaba screamed. "IT HURTS!"

Asami held Takaba but lowered them to the floor and rolled over, putting Takaba on top. The young man's eyes grew wide but he did not protest.

"Ride me, Akihito."

So lost in his burning desire, Takaba quickly adjusted his legs to get leverage and started moving. Asami held tightly to his waist impaling Takaba over and over.

"Hah…hah…hah…" Takaba panted.

Takaba transformed into the wildcat though this time he was wild with need, the need for Asami, the need to let go of _everything._

Their sex bordered on violent when Asami breathlessly said, "Stroke it, Akihito. Stroke your cock. _Come."_

As if on cue, he did, "A…sa…miiiii!"

His face contorted in pain as he squirted out coating his hand and Asami's stomach with his cum.

While in the height of his orgasm, Asami slammed Takaba down a couple of more times and came again inside Takaba's tight ass.

He held the young man still when Takaba fell against his chest, panting and quivering.

Takaba willed away the hazy feeling, not wanting to pass out and finally looked up at Asami through heavy lidded eyes.

Asami smirked, and then said something he never thought he would say to anyone. "Sleep here. I'll take you home in the morning."

Takaba clenched his jaw when he rose up and off of Asami's length. The older man gathered Takaba, almost asleep, in his arms and took him to the bedroom. By the time his head hit the pillow Takaba was out.


	19. First Impressions 19

Takaba sat in the passenger seat of the black BMW silent and sulking. Not once during the thirty-minute drive did Takaba ever turn towards the man driving the car. He sat, hands in lap, staring out the window. The flashbacks were becoming few and far between and the nightmares of the kidnapping were now gone, only to be replaced with dreams of lust, desire, and longing. He tried to convince himself that he didn't want that, he didn't want Asami but it was no use. His body craved its addiction and Takaba wished that it only stopped there but he knew better.

He didn't think Asami took him seriously. The older man had treated him like a child when protecting him and then used him for appeasing his sexual appetite as if he had no real value to Asami other than first being a paycheck and now a fuck toy. Takaba's pride alone made him want to hate the older man but he knew in the back of his mind that he was falling, falling for a man, first of all, and one that did not love him in return. It reminded him of a BL manga he had read once about a one-sided love affair. It didn't work out in the end it just ended.

So as Asami continued to drive, Takaba fought his war within himself. He knew what he had to do but did he have the will power to do it? He had to get away from Asami once and for all. He had to avoid Asami like the plague. He was strong, had always been strong so he could do it, right? He had no other choice. There was a time not so long ago that he thought he would never see the older man again and it devastated him. But this time it would be different because it was _his _choice to walk away, nothing left undone. He would get out of the car and close the door on the entire _situation _with Asami.

They pull up to the gate and Curt recognizes Takaba so he buzzes them in without question. Then Asami pulls up the drive and stops, shutting the car down. Takaba's gaze is now settled on the house.

"Takaba," Asami said in a _no nonsense _tone but Takaba was quick to respond.

"Thanks for the ride." He said full of sadness he hadn't meant to share. Then he put his hand on the door handle and looked at Asami, "Goodbye Asami," he said and fled the car.

Asami sat staring at the vacated seat. Something in the way Takaba said _goodbye_ tore at the older man's chest. He caught the double meaning and it irritated him. Did Takaba think they were done? Did the young man want them to be done? Asami pushed aside the thoughts. He had too much to do to worry about it that day.

Asami was doing one last security job for some politician that was just temporary. Then he was going to focus on the club and his other current investments. The added cash was nice but not necessary and after the Takaba job he had lost his taste for it.

On his way to meet the politician, his phone vibrated.

"Asami," he said.

"Hello darling, how are you?" His mother asked.

"Fine, how are you?"

"Good. I just wanted to let you know that I am planning to come and visit sometime. I saw that Misha will be coming to New York next month and would love to spend some time with my future daughter-in-law."

"Yes, well, I have a four week security detail and then I am free so the time would work out fine. But mother, Misha and I…"

"Oh wonderful. I can't wait. I will see you then." She interrupted, knowing what her son was about to say and not wanting to hear it.

"Mother,"

"Sorry darling, I need to get going. I'll send you the details of my itinerary. Bye."

Asami sighed, setting his phone down after he got the disconnect tone. She had sounded sweet, too sweet. Being the widow of his father who was a great crime lord in Tokyo, she was normally all business and no nonsense. Maybe the thought of Misha joining the family had made her happy. God knows not much else did.

Ever since high school, his mother had pushed every woman she met at her son. I just so happened that Misha's father had been an acquaintance of his father and his mother got it in her head that the two would be perfect for one another.

It started after that one single afternoon many years ago. Naoko was not due home until later in the evening but her plans had changed and she came into the quiet house. It was strange that her son was not there. That was when she suddenly heard it, a noise coming from Ryu's room. It sounded like the crash of a lamp so she went to investigate. What she saw when she opened the door caused a shriek that shook the very foundation of the huge house. Her son was in bed with another boy, his best friend in fact! The covers were over them but only to Asami's waist and he was on top of the other boy, both panting and sweating. By Asami's movements, Naoko did not have to wonder what he was doing. He was having sex with another man!

Both boys turned their heads at the sudden intrusion with horrified looks on their faces. His mother had busted them having sex.

She glared at her son, if looks could kill, he would have been dead ten times over. Then she slammed the door shut.

"Hey," Jun said cupping Ryu's cheek. "You okay?"

"No, no I'm not. Jun this is bad, really bad." Said fifteen-year-old Asami Ryuichi in a grave voice.

"Ryu, I love you. It will all work out. She can't stay mad forever."

Ryu dropped his head to Jun's chest, "I love you too but you don't know my mother."

Ryu kissed his lover with all the love he had inside of him before moving off Jun to get dressed.

"You better go." Ryu said sadly.

Jun got up and dressed. Then he stole one last kiss from his love and walked out. Ryu followed but the house was silent. After seeing Jun out, he found his mother out on the back patio sitting in a chase lounge with a glass of wine.

"Mother, I…." Ryu started to say.

"Don't!" His mother cut him off.

"But we need to talk…"

"There is absolutely nothing to discuss, Ryu!" she said evenly not bothering to even glance in his direction.

Ryu knew his mother's moods and this one meant she did not want to deal with what she saw so he slowly turned and left her alone.

The next day, Asami Ryuichi eagerly walked to class. He could not wait to see Jun. They hadn't spoken since Jun had left the day before. He sat down at his desk. Jun's was right in front of his but he apparently was not there yet so Ryu waited….and waited….

He stared at the empty seat through out the entire class period. The apprehension only built as the day went on and there was no sign of Jun. That afternoon, he walked past Jun's house on his way home. The house seemed eerily silent from where he stood on the sidewalk.

After a week of Jun's absence from school, Ryu approached his mother. He had a bad feeling that she had intervened in some way or another though she evidently did not tell his father what she witnessed or he would have had Ryu's balls hung on display at his office.

"Mother, do you know anything about Jun's sudden absence from school?" Ryu said nervously, knowing that she would be angry for him bringing Jun up.

"Jun who, darling?" She said sweetly, her eyes wide and innocent as if she had no idea what he was talking about.

Ryu instantly became angry, "Jun, mother, where is he?"

"Honestly darling, I have no idea who you mean. Maybe we should have you checked out. I mean you are obviously imagining this _other person._"

"Mother," Ryu's voice low almost a whisper. "What did you do to Jun?"

Naoko swung around from the food she was preparing on the cutting board and held the large knife firmly in her hand, "There is no _Jun_, there never was, and there never will be," she said through gritted teeth. "That name will NEVER be spoken in this house. It is strictly forbidden!"

Ryu felt his heart rip to shreds. As the wife of such a powerful yakuza, she had the means to do just about anything to Jun and his family but Ryu would never find out the truth, at least not from her. In fact, he never did find out what happened to Jun. The boy and his family simply disappeared. For weeks after that discussion with his mother, Ryu kept tabs on any news related to deaths in Tokyo in case Jun's family was one of them but there was nothing.

That was when the walls went up and Asami Ryuichi vowed that no one would penetrate them. Sure he took lovers, men and women alike, but when he had sex with them he always took them from behind. That way he didn't have to look at their eyes. It was sex, no strings attached and definitely no falling in love. Takaba reminded Asami of Jun. They both had that light in their eyes, that light that could invade his darkness, the darkness of being the son of a yakuza. Jun knew that Ryu had to jump through hoops with his father. He had learned to shoot and kill by the age of fifteen. He was being groomed to take over for his father and it changed him. Being with Jun, with such pure innocent light was what captured his heart all those years ago. Once that light had disappeared, Ryu never thought to see it again, until he met Takaba.

But Tokyo changed too and when his father died, he had already left for America. He had angered his mother by no stepping up to take over and they didn't speak for a few years. Finally, one day Naoko contacted him regarding the omiai, the formal introduction of he and a prospective wife. She left no room for argument, just stated that when and where. The overwhelming suppressed need to bring back his honor, to have his mother proud of him caused him to comply without hesitation.

Misha was a great catch for any man. She was a model and drop dead gorgeous. She was quite nice in bed too but she was not Jun and she was not Takaba.

Asami arrived at the hotel where the politician was in residence and was grateful for the distraction. He took a long deep breath before getting out of the car. He put the walls firmly back around his heart and locked away all those emotions that had been dormant for so long, only to be awakened by Takaba. But the young man's final words had been just that, final. Well, Asami would give him some time to think about it while he dealt with his new client. After that job was done, Asami would get his boy back, of that he had no doubt.


	20. First impressions 20

**Thanks for taking the time to read, please review and let me know your opinion of the story. The feedback is very helpful to a writer. **

"Wow Aki, is it true?" Kou's eyes were huge. "Take me with you. I can be your helper. Please?"

Takaba laughed at his silly friend, "My helper huh? You don't know anything about photo shoots or the equipment."

"I'll fake it. I can do it, Aki, really."

"Listen to you. Look, I'll see what I can do but I'm not promising you anything."

"That's all I ask, my friend," Kou said clasping Aki on the shoulder. Excitement didn't even begin to describe Kou when he found out that Aki was doing a photo shoot with the famous Misha Yatatashi. The woman was stunning and Aki was going to get to take her photos when she came to New York in a few weeks for promoting the new line of clothing by Rivaldi, one of the hottest new fashion designers in the market. Kou could not even afford to buy Rivaldi clothing on his salary. He would try, for Kou, to get him in to the shoot. Takaba was apprehensive though since he recognized her from the dinner date with Asami. _What was she to the older man?_

As for right now though, he had his weekly appointment with Dr. Stevens. _Woohoo!_

Takaba flopped down onto the familiar couch and raised his brows at the therapist expectantly, "So what are we gonna talk about today Doc?" He said sarcastically.

"Well," she said slowly. "As I mentioned before the stages of grief are different for everyone. But you have admitted that Ben Pruett raped you. I think that you have gone through the stages in a different order. First was the depression about what had occurred. Then to rid yourself of that you denied or ignored what happened. A couple of weeks ago you admitted that and your anger showed. It still does. What concerns me is the fact that you are displaying anger at what Ben Pruett did to you but not the general concept of what happened."

Dr. Stevens had been told by Haruto to not only help his son with the kidnapping but to find out more about Takaba and Asami's relationship. Haruto had been shocked to hear his son pleading for sex with the man while asleep. He had no evidence that Asami and Takaba ever engaged in such action but his son obviously thought about it. To find out one's son was secretly pining for another man was something Haruto was finding hard to accept.

"What are you talking about?" Takaba asked.

"What angered you most, Akihito? The fact that you had sex with another man or the fact that it was Ben Pruett that you had sex with?"

"Hey," Takaba snapped, "Ben Pruett had no right to do that to me!" Takaba glared at the doctor.

"But another man would have that right?" Dr. Stevens asked curiously.

Takaba paled and his eyes grew huge, "Wha….what are you suggesting?"

"Most young vibrant men, such as yourself, would be angry with their assailant but also the fact that he was another male. You don't seem as distressed about that as I thought you would."

Takaba shook his head, "You are just twisting my words all around," he said in defense, not disagreeing with her.

Dr. Stevens leaned forward on her chair resting her elbows on her knees and looking eye to eye with Takaba. "Akihito, when was the last time you had sex, aside from Pruett, and was that person a female?"

Takaba did not like the question at all but his anger was not from her accusation, it was because she was on to him.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Takaba snapped.

"It has a lot to do with how you cope with what happened to you and how you deal with relationships from here on out and you haven't answered my questions." Dr. Stevens reminded him.

"My current sex life is none of your business!" Takaba said standing abruptly and turning to gaze out the window to avoid Dr. Stevens' searching eyes.

"In all honesty, I think _he_ has been instrumental in helping you, whoever _he_ is." Dr. Stevens said softly.

Takaba turned to look at her sympathetic expression. She was smart but at least she didn't know it was Asami. It was bad enough that she knew it was a guy.

"Are you gay, Akihito?"

"What?" That was the second time someone had said that, _hell no_ he wasn't gay. That would kill his father, make him lose his friends, and possibly ruin his career.

"Never mind, you do not have to answer that." Dr. Stevens said. "We are done for today to I will see you next week."

_ Are you Gay, Akihito?_ Those words kept going through Takaba's mind over and over. It was Asami, all Asami's fault. Even after the first attack by Pruett, Takaba never even considered wanting the touch of a man. His BL mangas were pretty hot and steamy but he had never once wished he was one of those characters, especially the Uke. That is what irritated Takaba most about Asami, the fact that Asami didn't see him as a man but as the _woman_ when they had sex. He didn't want Asami to think he was less of a man. Career wise, he had proven himself if the older man had ever seen the reviews on Takaba's work. They all loved his photos. He was strong and independent and Asami would see that sooner rather than later because Takaba did not need the older man in his life. _Screw that bastard._

Takaba, Kou, and Takato drank and danced almost every weekend for nearly a month. One particular night they talked while Takaba went to dance with some women.

"Kou, I am really worried about Aki," Takato said seriously.

"What, dude, look at him. He is having the time of his life." Kou said glancing at his laughing friend who was living it up on the dance floor with women drooling all around him.

"He is getting carried away," Takato said.

"Nah, he's been through a lot and he just needs to relax like he is now."

Takato and Kou did know about the whole Pruett incident but not Asami and Takaba's private relations. But Takato seemed to think that Aki was being a bit careless. Every weekend he would drink himself to oblivion and then they would have to get him home. He was trying to drink away the pain so maybe he wasn't over the ordeal after all.

"Hey guys," Takaba said laughing as he strolled up with his arm around a woman. "This is Katie." He introduced his friends.

"Nice to meet you," Katie said, "Now come on Aki."

"Sorry guys, gotta go. I'll text you later." Takaba said and winked at his friends.

"Are you sure?" Takato asked.

"Yeah, I'm very sure." Takaba said and left the club with the woman.

He wasted no time in paying for a hotel room near the club and taking the pretty little blond up to a room. She had flirted with him all night and when she asked if he wanted to go somewhere quiet, he agreed without thought.

They entered the room and as soon as the door closed, Katie was kissing him. They stumbled to the bed fumbling with one another's clothes like time was running out. They were a mess of naked limbs, entwined tongues, and desperation to be fulfilled. Hands touched and mouths sought bare skin.

Takaba was needy but not just for Katie. He needed to prove to himself that Asami meant nothing to him, abso-fucking-lutely nothing! He fondled her breasts, sucked on them, rubbed her clit until Katie was begging for him through her moans.

Takaba however, was only semi-hard until he pictured Asami in his mind. _Shit, no way!_ _The way Asami's tongue felt when he licked my nipples._ Takaba became hard as a rock. _Asami's golden gaze was upon me as he took my cock in his mouth. _ Takaba thrust into Katie. With scenes of Asami taking him flickering through his mind like a slide show, he took Katie.

It didn't take long for either of them to come. When it was over, Takaba rolled off Katie, staring at the ceiling while he caught his breath.

"Aki, are you okay?" Katie asked when he said nothing.

"Huh….uh….yeah, I'm fine." He said and got up off the bed to get dressed.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

After dressing, Takaba turned to her, "Look Katie, you are really nice and I do like you but….I'm sorry." He said and quickly left the hotel room.

Asam was tired after his long day with Misha. He had just finished up his last security job two days ago and then she showed up. They spent the day together and were going to pick his mother up at the airport the following day. Dealing with the high-maintenance Misha was bad enough but add his mother to the mix and he had died and gone to hell. It had taken everything he had to get Misha to go to her hotel room alone. Maybe he should call one of the young men on his fuck list to come over?

"Boss," Akira said heading the older man off at the door to the penthouse.

"What is it?"

"You have a visitor. He demanded to be let in, sir."

Asami's eyes narrowed at the door and he immediately stormed into the penthouse. He looked around quickly and saw the tuft of blond hair peeking out above the back of the couch. When he came around he saw Takaba hunched on the couch hugging his knees to his chest.

"What are you doing here?" Asami said evenly.

Watery hazel pools returned his gaze before Takaba put his head back down on his knees. But it was too late to hide the weakness that he knew Asami saw.

"I….I tried….I tried to….to forget you," Takaba sniffled. "I couldn't even….even do it with her without….without thinking of….of you…"

"Takaba," Asami started to say.

Takaba glared at the older man who appeared so calm and in control, "How could you do this to me," he hissed. "You did this. You made me like this."

"Did you come here to yell at me?" Asami said wearing his mask of indifference.

Takaba gave Asami his fiercest look and opened his mouth to speak but could not find the words. He saw the slow smirk appear right before his eyes and suddenly the atmosphere in the room changed. Asami's gaze turned lustful, his expression deadly serious as he slowly came toward the couch and leaned down so close to Takaba that their cheeks nearly touched.

As Asami whispered his next words, his hand slipped between Takaba's legs, "You sought me out, you want me to take you. _This_," He said referring to Takaba's hard on. "Tells me so."

"No," Takaba said so softly Asami almost didn't hear it.

Asami rubbed his palm over the bulge in the young man's pants and Takaba grabbed the front of the older man's suit, inhaling deeply the scent of Asami. The top of Takaba's head pressed against Asami's shoulder as he panted from the warm hand stroking him.

Takaba's legs started trembling and they dropped down till his feet touched the floor. Asami took that opportunity to unfasten the pants and slip his hand inside. With his other hand, Asami pushed Takaba's shirt up and lowered his head to capture one sensitive nipple in his mouth. Takaba writhed underneath Asami's mouth, panting heavily and grabbing Asami's head to pull him closer. Takaba was done with the licking, he wanted his nipples sucked hard.

Asami continued to stroke Takaba, his speed steadily getting faster and faster until Takaba was moaning inaudibly and squirming about. That was when Asami stepped back and flipped the young man over yanking off his jeans and underwear.

"Put your knees on the couch and grab the back." Asami growled.

Takaba did as Asami ordered which made his ass stick out for Asami's access.

"_Mmmm…_..beautiful," Asami groaned.

"Shu….shut up, bastard…don't…don't say stuff like that," Takaba hissed through his ragged breaths.

Then he felt something. It was as if someone had put lighter fluid on the small fire starting deep with in the young man. Asami had spread Takaba's round cheeks and licked the little hole he would soon stretch with his thick length.

"Wha….what are…you….aahhh….d….don't…" Takaba moaned.

Asami flicked his tongue over and over again causing Takaba's mind to go fuzzy from the pleasurable sensations awakening within him. Asami lubed the entrance with his saliva waiting until just the right moment when Takaba had relaxed and was lost to the overwhelming pleasure before he quickly lowered his own pants and briefs, suddenly thrusting into the young man.

"Ahhh….it hurts….ahhh…" Takaba screamed.

Asami pulled out all the way with just the tip of his thick cock touching the hole and gained a whimper from his adorable kitten so he thrust in again and pulled out.

"Please….Asami please…." Takaba begged and turned a sultry pained expression toward the older man. "Please put it in me."

Asami thrust into his kitten hard and stilled making Takaba whimper, "Don't….don't take it out. Please don't take it out."

That was too much even for a man with Asami's impeccable control so he started the brutal pounding. Bodies becoming sweaty and the sound of Asami's balls slapping against Takaba's ass had both men breathless and completely lost in the moment.

Takaba was too dizzy for coherent though when Asami's hand found his throbbing cock and gave it his attention.

"So good….I can't….I can't….ahhhh A…sa…miiiiii!" Takaba cried out at the same time he exploded, coating Asami's hand with his cum.

Feeling the warm liquid, the muscles clenched around him, and Takaba's cries of pain and pleasure, sent Asami over the edge. He pushed all the way, gripping Takaba's hips mercilessly as he held himself embedded inside that tight heat, his seed pulsing out of him. When he finally pulled his softening cock out of his kitten, Takaba collapsed on the couch.

Asami carried him to the bedroom and slipped into bed beside him.

A few hours later, Takaba awoke in the darkness of the bedroom. He carefully slipped out of bed, nearly crashing to the floor from his wobbly legs but silently left the room and found his clothes. Once dressed, he quietly left the penthouse, but not before going back once more and admiring the gorgeous man sleeping. He shook his head, the man was a freaking sex God and Takaba was caught in his spell. Even in sleep with his hair messed up and falling over his eyes he was beautiful. _But you don't love me,_ Takaba thought to himself, turned and walked out.

Takaba took off down the street totally oblivious to the eyes in the shadows, those eyes that watched his every move.


	21. First Impressions 21

**The day of the photo shoot**

Takaba had to look his best today, the day he met Misha Yatatashi. He gathered his gear and headed to meet Kou who he had said was his assistant.

"Wow Aki, I can't believe it," Kou said as the entered the hotel glancing all around the massive elegant lobby.

Takaba rolled his eyes at his friend. He had a feeling that Kou would embarrass him and he was right. The man was practically drooling and he hadn't even seen her yet.

"Ah, Mr. Takaba," said the American man who greeted them when they entered the suite.

"It's just Aki. And this is Kou, my assistant I told you about."

"Yes, of course. I am Raymond, Misha's PR person. The other members of your team are here and have set up the equipment for lighting and such."

"Thanks." Takaba said and went into the large living area of the suite.

"Hello Aki," Said Misha as she stood and strolled over to him and Kou. She glanced at Kou whose eyes were about to pop out of his head and Takaba chuckled.

"This is Kou, my assistant."

"Hello Kou," She smiled and Kou's mouth dropped open. Takaba had to nudge him to get a response.

"Uh….hi," Kou smiled back unable to form any more words. He was in complete awe of the beautiful woman.

"Kou," Takaba said clasping his friend hard on the shoulder, "Why don't you wait over here by my bag, okay?" Takaba felt like he was talking to a five-year-old. At least Kou would stay out of trouble in the corner near the bag.

That was when Takaba suddenly switched to photographer mode and started shouting orders at the two other colleagues in the room. Then he addressed Misha.

"Let's start with you sitting here, like this," he said as he moved her arms and legs so that they were just where he wanted them for the photo.

Then he started clicking away, silently moving about the room catching different angles and lighting. Occasionally, he would ask Misha to change her position. She changed into several different outfits from the Rivaldi line through out shoot. Takaba was in his groove. The light inside him shining its brightest while he was behind the camera lens.

That was the first thing Asami noticed as he stepped out from around the doorway. Takaba froze when Asami entered his viewfinder. Slowly, he lowered the camera, eyes huge.

"Aki, is something wrong?" Misha asked concerned at Takaba's stunned expression but then she saw what he was looking at. "Oh Ryu, you haven't met Aki, the photographer here for the photo shoot."

"Aki, this is my fiancée, Asami Ryuichi. You don't mind him being her e during this, do you?"

"Uh…hey," was all Takaba could say in response until he gathered his wits about him. "No, I guess not as long as he stays out of the way." Takaba added his biggest cheeky grin.

Asami's face was exploding in amusement by that point.

_You bastard,_ _you got some nerve…._ Takaba was pissed. Not just that Asami was there at his photo shoot but by what Misha had said about him being her fiancée. Asami didn't look the least bit irritated or nervous about the entire awkward situation.

"Well, _Ryu,_" Takaba said smiling, "If you don't mind standing over there out of the way," he pointed to where Kou was sitting and waving, "We can get this shoot finished up." That, made Takaba feel empowered. He enjoyed running the show and ordering Asami around.

The older man's eyes narrowed but he simply smirked and played along. He liked to see Takaba working. The young man concentrating, yet making the shoot fun and comfortable for everyone involved. He was truly an amazing photographer.

Takaba muttered under his breath and again put the camera up to his face. He quickly found his groove again and was all over the room taking shots of Misha lounging on the couch, standing by the window, sitting at the breakfast bar, and even just lying on the bed while Takaba was up on a ladder taking shots from above her.

Finally though, it was over. Takaba had the men pack up the lighting equipment and he put the two cameras that he had used back in his bag.

In the meantime, Asami moved over to sit next to Misha on the couch and she leaned into him. Takaba glanced up from his crouched position by his bag but quickly averted his eyes. _Bastard, you are loving this aren't you?_ Takaba wanted to shout but held his tongue. He stood, bag in hand, and looked at Kou, the now stone statue, whose eyes were zeroed in on the hot model.

"Well, assistant, are you ready to go?" He asked.

"Huh….uh….yeah. It was great to meet you Misha." Kou said with the silliest dreamy expression that made Takaba chuckle.

"I'll call you in a few days when these are ready." He looked at Misha who stood with a possessive arm around her, _his arm, _the strong arm he longed to have wrapped around him.

**A few days later**

"Aki, thanks for getting these ready so quickly," Misha said as Takaba entered the suite.

"It's no problem," he shrugged.

"Come in, have a seat." Misha offered toward the couch.

Takaba sat down and Misha sat next to him. He opened the portfolio and laid out some shots on the coffee table in front of them.

"Oh Aki, I love them." Misha said excitedly as she picked up one after the other.

While Misha looked over the photos, a petite older Japanese woman sauntered into the room and took a seat on one of the chairs opposite them.

"Oh Aki, this is Naoko, Asami Naoko." Misha introduced them.

Takaba stared at the dark haired beauty with the familiar golden eyes. He felt them too, boring through him to his very soul. The way she studied him intently made him very apprehensive. He fidgeted nervously.

"Hi," he said quickly.

Naoko smiled though it did not reach her eyes. Something about her presence was creepy to Takaba so he turned his attention back to Misha.

"So?" Takaba asked.

"Can I keep these over night?" She asked him.

"Sure, I can come and get them tomorrow."

Just then, Misha's phone rang so she stood and excused herself to go into the other room to take the call.

Takaba glanced at Naoko and smiled sheepishly.

"Takaba Akihito, I know who you are," she said softly, intimately between them.

"Hah, what do mean," He chuckled.

"You are far more than a photographer," she paused, "Now I see why he is so enamored with you."

"I…I don't know what you mean," Takaba said, suddenly wishing for Misha to return.

"You are very similar to the one he loved….and lost." Naoko said, gaging Takaba's reaction.

His brows dipped slightly in the middle, "I don't know what you are talking about?" He said innocently but there was a slow ache forming in his chest. _You are similar to the one he loved and lost._ Was he really? Is that why Asami….no. Takaba had always been unsure of Asami's feelings for him but if what she said is true, if he was only a substitute, then he didn't even have the smallest glimmer of hope.

She shrugged, "Go on then, think foolishly that he cares for you. Ryu may be sleeping with you but he is thinking of someone else. Once he realizes that you are not Jun, he'll leave you."

Takaba stared in disbelief at the seemingly beautiful woman whose claws just ripped his heart wide open. Unbeknownst to them, Misha stood just around the corner listening to every word. She knew their engagement was a shame and that he loved another but was it Takaba or that other man Naoko spoke of?

"I have an appointment so….Aki, I will call you tomorrow?" Misha said.

"Okay, great. It was nice to meet you," he said to Naoko though he didn't smile. Then he left without another word.

So Asami didn't love him. Takaba laughed at his own stupidity as he walked through the lobby and out to his bike. Of course Asami didn't love him. The man took him as a substitute for this _Jun_ person and rescued him because of his job but thinking back, never had the man really shown him love so why had he held out hope that the older man cared for him? That was not entirely true, Asami did help him to forget the bad things that happened to him so what did that mean?

Asami got up from behind his desk at his new club and walked to the window. Yes, the investment was well worth it. There would be no more living at other homes while guarding them. He could go to work and go home. His days and evenings would be his and he would decide how to spend them. Kirishima took on the bookkeeping role while Suoh and Akira were essentially bouncers at the club. They controlled who came and went from the popular dance place. He had hired a few other muscles for security purposes but left the training up to Suoh and Akira. Most of the staff remained the same as far as the bartenders and waitresses.

The thought of going to work and coming home was appealing for the most part except for the fact that the penthouse was quiet. The past week that Misha and his mother had been in town, he had gone home alone. He knew what he needed, _wanted,_ when he came home at night. In fact he was staring at it at that very moment from the one-way glass.

"Kirishima," Asami said through the phone.

"Yes boss?"

"Get me Takaba."

Suoh made his way through the crowd to the table where the three men sat with two women. Kou was draped all over the blond while the brunette practically hurled herself at Takaba. He was flirting by the innocent blush that covered his pale face though no one but Takaba knew that it wouldn't go any further than that.

The young man's eyes grew huge and his arm stopped half way to his mouth with his bottle of beer as he watched Suoh approach.

"Takaba, someone would like to speak with you."

"Hey Aki, that looks like the gorilla," Kou laughed but Takaba just rolled his eyes. To explain anything to Kou after the amount of alcohol he had consumed would be pointless.

"He's here?" Takaba asked.

"Yes, follow me."

"Hey wait Aki," Takato said, "Is everything ok?"

Takaba looked directly into his friend's eyes, "Yeah, be right back."

He followed Suoh up to the next level while berating himself. _Why didn't I renew my Xanax prescription? What could Asami want with me other than….oh no way! I won't let him use me._

The door to the office was opened and Suoh motioned for Takaba to enter and closed the door after him. Takaba was staring at the back of the door when that smooth voice penetrated his mind.

"Takaba, having a good time?" Asami said leaning back on his desk, arms crossed with a tumbler in one hand.

"What do you want," Takaba snapped.

Asami slowly set his drink down and strode over to the young man, his eyes menacing. Takaba felt as though laser beams were shooting out of the older man's eyes searing his clothes, his skin.

"What do you think I want," Asami's voice was smooth, low.

The older man did not stop until they were only a foot apart.

"Oh no, no way! You are sorely mistaken if you think you can just use my ass anytime you feel like it." Takaba hissed.

"Are you saying you don't like it?"

"No….yes…." Takaba shook his head to clear it. With Asami so close he could see and smell the man. It was overwhelming his senses.

Asami reached his arm out intending to wrap it around Takaba's waist saying, "Well which is it?"

Takaba slapped the hand away, "No, I will not be your whore or your substitute!"

Asami's eyes narrowed evilly and one brow arched, "My what?"

"Your substitute for _JUN_!"

Asami's hand flew up so fast and swooped down again before Takaba even blinked.

_Smack!_

Asami froze, stunned, staring at the handprint on Takaba's cheek. Takaba himself was momentarily stunned but the anger brought him back to reality and he snapped his head back to glare at the older man.

Through his haze, Asami saw the tears about to fall from those beautiful hazel eyes but just barely heard the words over his thumping heart.

"I'm done!" Takaba hissed and turned to grab the door handle.

A strong hand covered his own. He felt the breath on his neck, felt the hard body press against the back of his own.

"Takaba," the baritone voice whispered.

Takaba shook his head, "No!" The hand covering his dropped. Then he turned the handle and walked out. Asami didn't stop him.


	22. First Impressions 22

"Mother," Asami said over the phone, " We need to talk."

"Sure darling, when?" She responded.

"Today, I will meet you for lunch in the hotel restaurant at One O'clock." He informed her.

"That sounds lovely. See you then," She replied though she had a twinge in her gut by the tone of her son's voice. It was far too professional, business-like. That was her only clue that their lunch was anything but a leisurely one.

Asami met her at the host's podium precisely at one. They were shown to their table and after testing the offered wine, ordered a glass for them both. Once the waiter left, Asami opened his menu. He said nothing.

Naoko studied her son's demeanor, which was rigid. The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees where Naoko sat. Ryu was a lot like his father in that respect. He set the tone of any given situation, not the people he was with.

After ordering for them both, Asami waited until the waiter had walked away and turned an icy glare at his mother.

"Stay away from Takaba," he said directly, leaving no room for argument.

"Ryu, whatever do you mean?" Naoko looked at him innocently.

"Don't toy with me, mother. You are the only one who could have told him about Jun." Asami stated.

"Ryu, you are not getting any younger. You need to marry Misha and stop this recklessness. Takaba is not Jun." She explained.

"If and when I decide to marry, it will be with the person I choose whether you approve or not. And, you are right Takaba is not Jun. Just as you are no longer the wife of a yakuza and I am not some teenage boy."

"What are you saying?" Naoko narrowed her eyes at her son and remained that way while the food was set before them.

"What I am saying is stay away from him. I will not tolerate any harm coming to him." Asami warned.

"All I did was speak with the boy."

"For now. What about next time?" He arched a brow.

"That all depends. Will there need to be a next time?" Naoko asked curiously. She was taunting her son to gage his reaction.

"Mother, he is mine." Asami confirmed his statement with his cold and dangerous expression that would have sent shivers down Naoko's spine had she not been the hardened woman that she was.

"What about Misha?"

"Misha knows that I do not love her whether she admits it or not. This was an arrangement from years ago. If her feelings got involved, she will get over it. I am ending the engagement. _You _will allow her to break the deal." Asami informed his mother.

Naoko didn't speak for a while just picked at her food and glanced at her son occasionally. She appeared rather calm in light of what her son had just told her.

"I think she is in love with you, Ryu. I just left her and to hear her talk about you….well…"

"As I said, she will get over it." Asami repeated.

"Is this what you really want, Ryu? Is _he_ what you want?" Naoko studied her son's expression.

Anyone else would have missed the slight glimmer in those golden orbs but not Naoko. No, her son did not even have to answer her question for her to know.

"Ryu, you haven't known him that long. How can you take such a chance?"

Asami smirked, "Who do you think you are talking to? I am Asami Ryuichi and I don't take chances. It's a done deal."

Misha sat at the breakfast bar in her room with the little earpiece in place seething with rage by the end of the conversation she was spying on. In her warped sense of greediness to have Ryu, she took out her phone and made the call.

Ryu and his mother had spoken like she had no say in the matter but she _would_ have her say. The turmoil of emotions with in her made all rationality flee. All she knew was that in order to get Asami for herself, she would have to get rid of Takaba.

"Shoot Takaba Akihito and don't get caught." Misha said over the phone.

Once, while Misha and Naoko were talking on Skype, Naoko received a call. The old woman did not realize that Misha had heard the conversation.

_Keep following them but do not let Ryu catch you. I want to know when, where, and how long they are together. He is engaged to be married and his debauchery will not be tolerated._

Naoko returned to the computer where Misha was waiting but nothing in her expression gave away her concerns. It was then that Misha got the idea and told Naoko that she suspected one of her staff having been into shady dealings using her money. Naoko was forthcoming with assisting Misha to get bugging equipment, unknowingly setting herself up.

As soon as Naoko arrived in New York, Misha planted the first bug and listened in on her conversations. Hearing the man leave Naoko's hotel room late one night, Misha caught him on the elevator.

"I know you work for Asami, Naoko Asami. I also know who she has you following." Misha said as the elevator doors closed.

"What do you want?" He asked.

"I want you to tell me everything you tell her. Work for me too." Misha said.

"I know who you are as well so why would I do that?"

"Because I will pay you fifty thousand dollars up front and another fifty when I am satisfied with your work."

The man thought about it for a brief moment as the elevator made it's way to the lobby. It was a good amount of money but he knew she had more.

"Make it one hundred thousand and you have a deal." He said.

"Done." Misha replied quickly.

They exited the elevator and the man wrote his phone number and name on a piece of paper he asked for at the front desk. Misha took it.

"It will be nice to work with you, Rocco. I'll be in touch."

The greedy man said nothing and walked out of the hotel though Misha called him later that night and he divulged everything he knew about Asami and Takaba.

XXXX

It was just after three when Takaba bounded out of the office building and into the crowd of people on the sidewalk. He had his mind on all the things he needed to do that day. He still had to run by the camera shop and the ATM before going home to get ready for a night out with Kou and Takato so he was not paying attention when a man suddenly bumped into him and quickly moved past.

He gasped, the horrified expression frozen on his face as the pain tore through his body. Instinctively, he pressed his hand to his lower left side where the pain was the worst. Blood leaked through his fingers, coating his hand and spreading across his shirt. Unable to speak, he dropped to his knees, the haze clouding his mind, blurring his vision, and diminishing his hearing. The screams and shouts were all around him but they were muffled as he fell to the pavement and into oblivion. _What is happening to me? Am I….am I dying?_ Those were Takaba's final thoughts as he fought what appeared to be a losing battle.

_ It's going away, the pain is going away. I feel light as a feather. All of a sudden, Takaba's inner turmoil of emotions disappeared. His mind had gone numb as the scroll of images passed before his eyes like watching a movie. Why am I seeing this? Am I dying?_

Kou and Takato entered the Loft early in the evening around 6:30pm when not many people had shown up yet. The lively crowd didn't come out until much later. The two men ordered beers and sat at a table. Usually, they were laughing and joking with one another, but tonight they both looked rather melancholy. At least that is what Asami thought as he watched them from his one-way glass window in his office. One reason could very well be the fact that Takaba was not with them. That was rather odd too. Was he on a job? Seeing the men acting so out of character, Asami got curious.

"Gentlemen," he said when he reached their table.

"Hey bodyguard dude," Kou said in a dull voice. There was no absent minded smile or joking when Kou spoke.

"Are you waiting on Takaba?" Asami asked.

"Oh, we're waiting on him alright," Kou said and ran his shirtsleeve across his nose, sniffling.

"Something wrong?" Asami arched a brow.

"We are fine," Takato said quickly in the hope that the older man would simply walk away.

But the ever-emotional Kou burst out, "It doesn't matter, Takato. He knows Takaba, rescued him, remember."

"Yeah, I remember." Takato said as if he hated the thought.

"What doesn't matter?" Asami pushed.

Kou looked up at Asami, "Aki was shot this afternoon. We are still waiting to hear from his father about his condition. They rushed him to surgery, something about internal bleeding." Kou waved his hands around.

"What!" Asami's indifferent expression faltered just slightly, his eyes turning to ice.

Asami motioned for the waitress to come over, "Give them whatever they want even if it's take out from across town. Whatever. They. Want."

"Yes sir," She replied, nodding.

Kou and Takato both simultaneously glanced at Asami and said, "Thanks."

Asami nodded and returned to his office where Kirishima was looking over the establishment's books. He shook his head wondering how the man continued to find more numbers to crunch.

Takaba was shot. Find out everything you can from the hospital." Asami said.

"Boss, they won't tell me anything, privacy act and all that."

"Kirishima, everyone has a price." Asami stated, then added, "and have the car brought around."

"We are going somewhere boss?" he asked.

"Yes, my mother's hotel."

**Not a long chapter but I wanted to get something out there. Thanks for letting me know your thoughts on the story; I really appreciate you taking the time to review. Knowing you are interested keeps me going. Thanks.**


	23. First Impressions 23

Asami knocked repeatedly on the hotel suite door but received no answer until he heard the door behind him open. Misha had come to find out what all the noise in the hall was for.

"Ryu, I didn't think we would see you tonight?" She questioned.

"I am looking for my mother." He stated without any emotion what so ever.

"Well, you are in luck because she is in here," Misha said and opened the door wide, inviting.

Asami strode into the suite and straight to where his mother sat comfortably in a plush chair sipping some wine.

"Ryu," she nodded.

"I warned you, mother." He spoke.

The powerful aura he exuded was laced with danger and malice. The tension in the air was thick and felt by everyone, even Suoh who stood just behind his boss could barely breathe. The temperature in the room seemed to suddenly drop several degrees making even MIsha shudder.

"Ryu, what are you talking about?" Naoko asked innocently.

"You know what, or whom rather, Takaba."

"What on earth are you talking about darling?" She asked again. Then she glanced at Misha, "Maybe we could talk about this later, privately?"

"No. I told you to stay away from him. I will not tolerate a repeat of twenty years ago. So you had better hope he pulls through." Asami said evenly, showing no sign of emotion.

"Ryu, I told you before, all I did was talk to him." She insisted.

Asami knew his mother better than anyone, even his father. He studied the tone in her voice, the look in their matching eyes, and her demeanor. All of it was genuine.

"I admitted it to you already. I did say something to the boy when he was here but that is all, Ryu."

He stared at her a moment more and then turned to leave but Misha quickly grasped his arm.

"Ryu, where are you going? Stay and join us." She smiled flirtatiously.

"I can't. I have to go see someone." He stated.

"Who? _Him?_" She spat out unable to contain the rage she felt at the fact that Asami would prefer to go be with _him_ than stay with her in addition to the fact that he came in ranting to his mother because the little whore got hurt.

Asami's eyes narrowed at the small woman clinging to his arm whose flirting had turned to viciousness in a nanosecond.

"You know nothing about it." He brushed her off with his words but her grip held firm on his bicep.

"You have _me_, Ryu, and yet your little whore gets shot so you run to him!" She snapped, her eyes wild bordering on psychotic.

In a slow steady tone he replied, "I never said he had been shot."

Misha gasped and her eyes widened at her fateful mistake.

For the first time since entering the suite, Asami's expression turned livid, "You. Did. This. I'll have you know, that _little whore_ has more depth and character than you could ever hope to have."

The beautiful and oh so put together model came unglued. She gripped the front of his lapel with both hands, tears streaming down her face, and anger in her eyes.

"It was supposed to be me, Ryu! You were supposed to want me!" She screamed and attempted to shake the unyielding man before her. He stood there as still as a stone statue.

"Suoh!" Asami said harshly as rage consumed his body, "Get her away from me before I kill her."

Misha gasped again at his cruel words but Suoh was instantly there yanking the blubbering shaking woman off his boss. He stood firm with his hands around her arms, holding her against his chest. She was no match for a man of his strength and size.

"Misha? What did you do?" Naoko said frantically.

"She _tried_ to do what you did twenty years ago mother but she is no yakuza's wife." Asami stated.

"You have a plane to catch in less than 48 hours to Australia. Be on it or they will be looking for pieces of you all over New York City." Asami said to Misha.

Then he walked out, leaving Suoh there while he headed to Akira who was waiting at the car.

The eerie silence greeted the young man as he stood on what appeared to be a never-ending sea of fluffy white clouds. But in the distance the blurred colors started to form a picture that compelled Takaba's feet to move toward it. He felt the powerful magnetism pulling him closer and closer still. Though the edges of the image before him were faded, the image itself was becoming very clear right before his eyes.

It was him! Takaba was lying in a bed with IVs and a monitor beeping in the background. His eyes were closed and his body motionless. As he stepped closer he could hear the desperate pleas of the man in the chair near the bed.

"My son, please come back to me. I know it's selfish but I am not ready to part with you, not yet." Haruto pleaded at his son's bedside.

"Dad, I'm here," Takaba said but the man showed no acknowledgment that he had heard his son's voice.

Panic set in instantly and Takaba felt his heart thumping in his chest. At the same time, the monitor started beeping loudly and faster. Two nurses came running into the room to check the offending sound and the condition of their patient. It was in that moment that Takaba realized that he was not yet dead but not living either. He was somewhere in between life and death. But what did that mean? How was he to get on one side or the other? He was everywhere and yet nowhere.

He watched Haruto kiss his forehead and with heavy feet walk out of the room. But it wasn't over yet, as Takaba stood there as an outsider looking in on his own weaning existence.

Then some colleagues showed up. It was Clark, Mitarai, and Brenda from reception. They hung their heads and spoke.

"Oh Aki," said Brenda, "You were such a delight in the office. You always made me laugh," she chuckled nervously.

"Aki," MItarai spoke, "I never told you before but….your talent is unsurpassed. There is no one who can capture a moment in time like you can." Then he stepped back.

"Hey man," Clark said, "You are the one who caught the bad guys. Without you well….." He could not finish his statement. Then they quietly left.

Kou and Takato entered the room and came up to the side of the bed. Kou looked miserable, the emotional young man unable to contain the tears he poured out for his friend.

"Hey dude," he said nearly choking on the words. "We were supposed to go out tonight. Takato and I are waiting for you, right Takato?" He glanced over at his other friend's rather somber face.

"Yeah," He paused, "We'll wait for you." He said in a dull tone.

Then Kou took out his phone, which had Takato giving him a stern expression, "Kou!"

"I have to dude, I promised." Kou said and dialed the number on the small sheet of paper he had crumpled in his pocket.

"Hi, it's Kou, his father is gone for the night." Pause, "Okay, your welcome." Then Kou hung up the phone and looked again at Takaba, "We'll see you soon, Aki."

Takaba watched with tear filled eyes as his two best friends hung their heads and walked out of the room. Again there was silence.

With slow unsure steps, Takaba continued closer to the bed, closer to himself. He studied the young man lying in front of him but he didn't recognize him. Sure, things happened in his life, some quiet extraordinary, but never had something brought him this far, this close to death.

He was in complete and utter shock when the door to the room opened and the tall dark man in the suit walked in. His breath caught in his throat. _Asami._ Getting a good look at him, Takaba saw something that he was sure Asami would kill to keep secret. Sadness. The lines of those golden eyes were creased with sadness.

"Akihito," he whispered, taking the pale limp hand into his own. It caused a sudden jolt of electricity that rippled through Takaba's body.

"That day we met I saw something in you, something that I had never seen before in anyone." He paused, fighting the choking feeling in his throat. He took a deep breath and his eyes hardened along with the tone in his voice. "This is not you Takaba. The _man_ I know you to be would not just lie there, he would fight and fight hard. Have you finally given up? Is there no fight left in you?" Then he stood and walked to the door, looking back over his shoulder, "Pity." He said and left without another word.

_Bastard!_ _You can't talk to me like that!_ Takaba screamed at the image but nothing happened, the man was gone. The monitor started beeping wildly once again and the nurses returned, shouting about medicine and calling the doctor.

The faded edges of the image started to close in, taking away the image altogether. _No, _Takaba thought, _no I want to see more. I want to see what happens to me._

A shadow appeared a few feet from him gliding over the white fluff with grace. In a white kimono with pink and red cherry blossoms on it, was a woman, his mother.

She smiled, "My precious baby boy." She said. "I have been waiting for you for so long."

"Mom?" He asked as he started to tremble.

"Yes, Aki, it's me." She said with so much love and tenderness in her eyes.

"Mom, what is going on? What do I do?" He begged for the answer.

"My dearest Aki, I cannot tell you what to do only offer what I can give," She said reaching out for him to take her hand.

He stared at her curiously, so many nights he wished for one last touch, one last hug from her after she had died. Neither of them had been given a second chance to be together. This was it, this was that chance but Takaba was afraid. What would it mean to take her hand? The longing for her within his heart made his feet inch closer to her. His hand trembled as he slowly started to raise it, inch by agonizing inch.

He did want her back so badly he could taste it, her love palpable. But wait, what could she give him? She was dead. The only thing she could offer was life _after _death, not life itself, not his colleagues, his father, his friends, _not _Asami.

He arm paused in its movement, "What can you give me?" He asked.

"A beautiful place that is free of suffering and pain where there are no worries, no stress, a utopia."

Takaba shook his head slowly, lowering his arm. "No, I'm not ready for that. I….I want….I want…." He stammered.

"You want?" She said and his eyes locked with hers.

Defiance radiating through out his body, fire in his eyes, "I want to go back!"

His mother's eyes widened at his outburst. _Had she been gone so long that she forgot was living was like?_ Well, he didn't. He wanted to live! If for nothing else than to call Asami a bastard for the way the man spoke to him. He squeezed his eyes shut and balled his hands into fists at his sides. _I want to go back. I want to go back. I want to go back._

Suddenly, his body was propelled forward and he was falling through the blanket of clouds, falling and falling until he hit something hard, sending a jolting shock through his entire being. Everything suddenly went black.


	24. First impressions 24

**So this was the original version of the chapter but then I changed it. After going back, I decided I wanted this part in so I did. It's not as long of a chapter but I liked it so here it is. I struggled with this because I felt it a bit OOC. I will explain later.**

The month of April was coming to a close and with it the winter season was giving way to spring. It should have been a time to rejuvenate, start fresh. Nature would come alive as the trees budded and the flowers started to bloom.

Haruto sat on the couch and stared at the long forgotten X-box controller. His heart ached, the wounds still weeping with no indication of healing. He thought of his son sitting there with his friends screaming at the TV and each other as they battled. Scattered around them were empty cans and chip bags that they had devoured. Their energy filled the, now silent, dwelling.

_Ding dong_

"Collins," Haruto said referring to the doorbell that broke the silence and brought him back to reality.

A few moments later, Dr. Stevens appeared in the doorway of the living room. Haruto looked at her with dead eyes.

"Haruto," she said to the man slumped on the couch. Though he had on a suit for work, he didn't look at all as sophisticated as he had in her office. The weary expression, coupled with lack of sleep aged him several years. The body before her was only a shell of the man Haruto once was. His sad, tormented eyes lifted to her.

"Thank you for coming." He said softly and stood to greet her.

"It's no problem. Shall we get started?" She offered.

"Yes, follow me." He told her and shuffled his heavy feet up the stairs with her following.

He stood in front of the closed door and took a deep breath then he turned to Dr. Stevens with pain in his eyes. She nodded so he turned the knob and entered the bedroom. It was dark with the lights off and the black out curtains closed. No light invaded the darkness consumed inside. But seeing Haruto hesitate, Dr. Stevens flipped on the light switch. Someone had to find the light so Dr. Stevens took the initiative.

"Hey!" The groggy, angry shout echoed throughout the room.

"Hello Akihito." Dr. Stevens said casually.

"What the….dad?" Takaba whined and smached his face into the pillow he was hugging.

Haruto averted his eyes to the floor for they both knew that Takaba had specifically said, "No therapist." But Haruto was at a complete loss as to what to do with his son by that point so in the end he had made the call to the doctor. He wanted his son back and he didn't know what else to do.

The first thing the doctor noticed was that the room had a musty air to it like it had been shut tight for months. There were clothes scattered all over the place, some on the floor while others took perch on the desk chair or hanging precariously from the edge of the dresser. There was even some half sticking out of the drawers in the dresser.

Amongst the forgotten pants, shirts, and even underwear strewn about the room were various photography and manga magazines. But Dr. Stevens was sure that the horrid odor that penetrated her nostrils was from the untouched, uneaten bowls of food that someone had stacked into a tall tower, one on top of the other. Why, there must have been at least seven bowls.

"I'm sorry doctor," Haruto apologized as he tossed all the stuff onto the floor from the desk chair so the doctor could sit, "he doesn't allow us to come in here often."

"Akihito, I'm sure you know why I am here?" Dr. Stevens said.

"I was shot in my side doc, not my head," the young man's tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Good," she said and sat down. Then she addressed Haruto, "I'll come find you after we are done."

Haruto nodded and gave his son a sad look but took the hint and left them alone, shutting the door quietly.

At first, Dr. Stevens didn't say anything, which prompted Takaba to break the silence, "Well, you going to analyze me, or what?"

"Is that what you want me to do?" She asked.

Takaba looked away, "You're wasting your time."

"And you're wasting your life so…."

"What do you know?" He spit out glaring at the doctor.

"Obviously not much so why don't you enlighten me, hm? I don't get it, Akihito? You have been through quite a lot up to this point but you always managed to come out of it, pick right up where you left off. Why not now? I mean, you've been chased by criminals with guns during your assignments, you were kidnapped and raped, then nearly killed but that never stopped you before."

Again Takaba looked away. He hated it when knew she was right. But that was then and things are different now.

Dr. Stevens continued, "Akihito, look how quickly you recovered after the Pruett incident. You only took the meds for a short while and we only had a few sessions so why are you held up here in your little private prison?"

"That was different," He snapped.

"How?"

"I had…." He paused.

"What? What did you have?" She pushed.

"I had help with that." He blurted out.

"Yes, and that _help_ took away your pain, made you forget, made you feel safe, didn't it?"

Takaba didn't respond, just turned onto his side, his back to the doctor.

"You don't feel safe anymore do you? You are now worried that anything can happen to you anytime, anywhere. You are paranoid that if you step outside these walls, you could be shot again or even killed but that never stopped you before. You told me once that you were a _man_, that you had a successful career. So why are you hiding out, locked away in this room?"

Takaba turned back to her, "What do you want me to say?"

"That you are done feeling sorry for yourself. The man who came into my office was the type of man to take the bull by the horns, confront his demons head on, and then move on with his life. Where is he now because _he _is definitely _not_ in this room with us."

"I don't know, okay!" He snapped.

"Well," Dr. Stevens stood, "When you find him you let me know."

Takaba watched in shock as the doctor simple got up from the chair and walked out. How long he stared at he door, he didn't even know. But the more her words echoed in his head, the angrier he became, at himself and at the world.

He was angry about many things. First, the man who shot him, though his father had said the man had been taken care of but Haruto gave no details. Second, he was angry that he allowed himself to fall in love with the bastard who ripped his heart out. And third, but most importantly, he was angry with himself for doing exactly what Dr. Stevens had said, hiding out.

**Takaba is not the type to brood about things so I wasn't sure if it fit with him but he did in the one extra on the island paradise after leaving Hong Kong when he felt weak and vulnerable so that is why I put it in. What do you think?**


	25. First Impressions 25

_**While Takaba locked himself away from the world, Asami was quite busy…..**_

"Mother," Asami stated as he stepped into the huge living space of the mansion she resided in just outside of Tokyo.

"Hello Ryu," She responded without moving from her kneeled position at the low table.

Asami knelt down across the table from her, his expression cool and void of emotion.

"In my younger years I was a very shrewd woman."

Asami's brow rose, _what's changed,_ he thought to himself?

"I know what you are thinking." She added. "I did what I thought was best for you at the time. Though your father used any means possible to extract information from people, he would never understand his son having feelings for another man." She paused, their eyes locked on one another. "To him, the only reason to take another man would be to prove his superiority over that man, to show the man that he was beneath your father in every way. No feelings were involved, it was just the alpha male exerting his dominance."

"So you were protecting me." Asami stated.

"Yes, at the time you would not have accepted that for an answer and I didn't want your father to find out. Then," she waved a hand, "Time went on and I thought this was all behind us."

"Is that why you summoned me here….to explain?" Asami asked having flown from New York to Japan just after hearing that Takaba had been released from the hospital.

"Not entirely. It was to also give you this." She pushed a piece of paper toward him that was lying forgotten on the table.

Asami's brows dipped in the middle as he took the paper and read it.

Then he glanced at his mother. After all this time, _why now,_ he wondered, as he held the directions to Jun's grave in his hand?

"You said you had accepted Jun's death but you never got the chance to tell him goodbye. That is entirely my fault and I want to make it up to you." She said softly.

Asami stared into the hurt but kind eyes of his mother. Many times over the years, he had vowed to hate the woman forever, waiting for her time on earth to be complete so she was out of his life. All she ever did was interfere in his life. Wasn't that the reason he left Japan in the first place, to get away from his yakuza father and mother?

"If you truly do have feelings for this Takaba, then say goodbye to Jun once and for all." She said.

Asami eyed her curiously, "Why do you want me to do this?" He asked always wondering about her ulterior motives. With Naoko there was always something behind her actions.

"So I know that you are sure about Takaba." Her gaze was intense as she stared back at her son.

"I'll think about it." He said and stood.

Naoko stood too and followed him to the door. She was well aware that her son was curious to her intentions but she simply smiled and said, "Go where your heart tells you."

She watched Kirishima drive her son away and immediately pulled out her phone.

"He just left, follow him and let me know."

After a couple days of seeing old acquaintances and visiting a few clubs while pondering over the slip of paper in the pocket of his suit, Asami finally called on Kirishima.

"Take me here," he said handing the paper to his subordinate.

The day was bright but cool as the car pulled up to where the grave was located. Asami sat in the car for several minutes before finally getting out and walking up to the stone with Jun's name on it. On either side were the graves of his parents.

Asami squatted down and ran his hand over the earth. It was a peaceful moment for him, remembering Jun and what they almost had together.

"He's dead you know," the voice behind Asami said but Asami didn't turn around just then. He stayed staring at the earth.

"I know." Asami stated.

"Why….after all this time….why come here now." The voice said.

Asami smirked. It was a test. His mother was testing him _that_ was her motive. He had been set up.

Quietly, Asami stood up straight and turned around to face what he thought was only a part of his past.

"To say goodbye." He stated matter-of-factly.

Their eyes locked, but there was no sparks, no electricity like there once had been.

Jun chuckled, "I never thought I would see you again."

"Yes, but you forget who my mother is. Apparently, she can bring people back from the dead at the most inopportune times." Asami smirked.

"I was surprised when she up and suddenly called me after all this time." Jun replied.

"You know," Jun offered, "You were the first person I ever loved."

"So were you….but that was then." Asami said with only a hint of recognition regarding their past glimmering in his golden eyes.

"So you have moved beyond _us._" Jun said but it wasn't a question.

Asami thought of Takaba. Random images of the strained look on the boy's face as Asami took him, the defiance in his eyes when he felt trapped, and the huge grin he had when he was happy.

"Yes, I have." Asami stated.

"I wish you the best, Ryu," Jun said.

Then they stared at one another for several more minutes with the breeze flowing between them, distancing them from each other.

"Goodbye Jun," Asami said.

Jun walked up to the man he once loved and leaned up to press his lips to Asami's.

The unyielding man did not engage in returning said kiss so when Jun stepped back a small smile accompanied his words, "Goodbye Ryu."

Asami stood there watching Jun's back as the man walked away from him. It was done. Sure the closure helped the guilt Asami felt at being the cause of Jun's death but as far as their relationship was concerned, it had ended many years ago.

So what did his mother hope to gain from it? Was she expecting him to run back to Jun or to Takaba? Either way, Asami would win. Had she thought that with Jun gone, he could not love another man? But he had. Did she finally see that and devised this little _test_ so that there was no doubt as to where his heart was bound. Then she didn't know him very well because he already knew that answer.

He strolled up to Kirishima who was waiting by the car, "Make the arrangements, we are going home."

Not long after returning home, Asami tried to call Takaba's cell phone but he only got the voicemail. He hated voicemail so he never left a message.

That lasted about three days while Asami was consumed with work. Finally, one evening, he decided to pay Takaba a visit. He walked out of the club through the back door so he didn't have to push his way through the crowd of people and likely get stopped several times by the patrons who knew him.

It was dark, Kirishima was holding the door open for his boss and Suoh was getting into the passenger side when suddenly, a cloaked figure stepped out of the shadows and the bang of the gun echoed in the alley again and again. Kirishima and Suoh immediately returned fire, the hooded person falling to the ground with a thud.

But the vision of Asami suddenly arching his back, gripping the car door with one hand and the frame with the other, his eyes wide with the shock was engrained in Kirishima's mind.

"Hang on boss," he said as the two men shoved Asami into the BMW, Suoh holding pressure to the wounds.

Kirishima pulled out his phone and dialed Akira to clean up the mess in the alley. None of them taking the time to see whom the culprit had been, just jumping in the car and taking off.

Akira phoned Kirishima who was at that time, sitting in the waiting room while Asami was in surgery to remove the three bullets embedded in his back, to tell him who the shooter was, a man who worked for Naoko. But digging deeper, the man had received money in his account by Misha. Kirishima knew then that they had killed the man who had tried to shoot and kill Takaba. They had thought that the problem had gone away when Misha left town but apparently not. Asami would be raging mad when he found out, _if_ he pulled through.


	26. First Impressions 26

After a few weeks in the hospital, everyone including Asami's staff and the hospital staff are ecstatic that he is being released. He really was a horrible patient. When he woke up after a week and a half of being in a coma, Asami was quick to start barking orders at everyone.

"Find out who the shooter was," he demanded of Kirishima just after waking up.

"We already know boss. It was the same guy that shot Takaba." Kirishima paused, slid his glasses up into place and continued, "He was working for Misha."

Asami's cold deadly stare even made Kirishima cringe. But the man with the glasses knew that his boss was working something over in his mind.

"Find out her schedule. I want to know when she will be back in the states."

"Yes boss," Kirishima replied.

Though he was suppose to rest upon leaving the hospital after recovering from his three gunshot wounds to the back, this was Asami and he wasn't about to adhere to the rules set forth by the doctor. So by the following evening after his discharge from the hospital, Asami was at the club. Not only did he have that to run but also he had other business dealings that needed his attention. He had invested in several companies that required his signature and lots of paperwork that he usually left to Kirishima, however, since he had been laid up in the hospital, he now had a two stacks of files on his desk to go through. Kirishima would weed out the documents that Asami didn't need and leave him with the reports that needed his attention.

He had also hired a new man, Derbin, who was to keep watch on Takaba. Asami was confident that even though the kid was angry with him that he would come back to him. Unfortunately, by the end of April, it wasn't Takaba but someone else who came to him.

"Boss, someone would like to speak with you." Kirishima said.

The woman came into Asami's office following Kirishima. She was offered a seat and took it but that didn't make her comfortable. From the moment she entered the office, she could feel the vibe in the room. Asami's mere presence dominated the small space, well; it seemed small with him there.

His appearance was casual as he leaned back in his chair to take in the woman who sat down but he remained indifferent and cold. She could feel the temperature in the room decrease and it caused her to shiver.

"Why do you want to see me?" He asked.

"My…..name is Dr. Stevens and I am Takaba's therapist." She spoke nervously.

"I know who you are but why are you here?" He asked again.

"I shouldn't be here but we do not know what else to do," She replied.

"_We?_" Asami repeated.

"Yes, Haruto and I." She clarified.

Dr. Stevens spent the next thirty minutes further explaining Takaba's condition to the man sitting across from her. As a doctor, she studied his reactions but there were none. There was nothing in his expression to prove he had even listened to a word she had said.

When she finished, Asami said, "And you are here because you think I can help him?"

"We are at a loss as to what to do with him," She pleaded.

Asami eyed the woman carefully. She seemed genuinely concerned for Takaba and from the way she spoke his father was also just as concerned for his son.

"I'll think about it." Asami stated and stood up. He walked to the door and opened it, "I'll let you know."

With that said, the woman took a deep breath and exited the office. She felt no more confident than before meeting with the man. She just could not get a read on him, how he felt about Takaba. Maybe it was a mistake to come and ask for his help but after speaking with Haruto, they had no other options.

It was mid afternoon the following day when Dr. Stevens arrived at the Takaba residence after receiving the call she had hoped for. Not long after she met with Haruto, the doorbell rang.

Collins opened it and Asami came face to face with the doctor and Takaba's father who did not look all that pleased to see him. Asami knew that look. Haruto was not yet comfortable with the idea that Asami and his son had been intimate or that there was anything more between them.

He had never seen them show affection towards one another and had no idea just what kind of relationship they had. Haruto was skeptical that having Asami talk to Takaba would even work but he trusted Dr. Stevens so he allowed it.

"Where is he," Asami asked in a cold even tone.

"He….he is…..held up in his room," Haruto stammered with a deep sadness in his eyes. The man had appeared to age ten years since Asami saw him last proving that his son's condition had taken it's toll on him.

Asami nodded and headed towards the stairs, leaving Kirishima and Suoh in the foyer along with Dr. Stevens and Haruto.

Asami was not the type of man to be fearful so it was not unusual that he strode up to the door of the bedroom and opened it without hesitation.

The stale smell of rotting food and dirty laundry was the first thing to hit the older man. Then there was the fact that it was as dark as Takaba could have made it with the lights off and the curtains pulled tight. It was like walking through a field of land mines as Asami had to step over magazines, clothes piles, and dishes just to get through the room.

"Go away," Takaba moaned from under the covers; not even bothering to see who it was that invaded his little prison cell.

Asami went directly to the curtains and tossed them wide-open, dust flying through the already musty air. Then he turned his attention to the bed just as the covers flipped down and Takaba sat up.

"What the hell….A…..Asa….mi?" Takaba was in utter shock to see the man in his room. He had thought it was his father or the doctor, even the security, but Asami was the last person he expected to see.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Asami asked casually.

"What does it look like? I _was _trying to sleep." Takaba's sarcasm was still quite intact as was that fierce sparkle in his eyes.

That was enough for Asami to know that his boy was still there, that the fire in side Takaba had not burned out though from what he had been told, had sounded like it was.

"Why are you even here?" Takaba asked in complete confusion, "Just leave me alone."

"Is that what you want?" Asami asked.

"Ye….yes," Takaba stammered but the longer he gazed at the man, the more his heart started to hurt. What he thought were simply scars left by the man were once again open wounds. "I was not who you wanted me to be so just….go. Get out of my life already."

"You're wrong." Asami stated.

Oh please, your mother was very clear that day." Takaba hissed.

Asami shrugged and simply said, "She was wrong."

"Really? I find that hard to believe." Takaba spat out.

"Enough of this, get up," Asami said and stepped toward the bed, his eyes dark and angry.

Takaba immediately shot out the other side of the bed opposite Asami but the older man was quick and in just a few steps, had circled the bed and trapped Takaba against the wall. There he stood, back to the wall in his boxers and tank top with his head lowered, gazing at the floor. He could not look into those eyes though he was already feeling the warmth of Asami's body and the older man's scent penetrating his senses.

Seeing the trembling boy, Asami said, "You can't stay locked up in here forever."

"Watch me." Takaba hissed but didn't look up.

Then Asami leaned closer, his mouth next to Takaba's ear, "You're scared." It wasn't a question.

"Well….wouldn't you be?" Takaba retorted. _Yes, bastard, I am scared! I am terrified to leave these walls and go out into the world. The guy shot me in a crowd of people right there in the open! _Takaba thought the words but did not say them and he didn't need to.

Asami reached under his suit coat and pulled out his gun, which caused Takaba to shake even more if that was possible. Then, Asami held it firmly and ran just the tip of the barrel down one cheek, whispering, "Are you afraid?"

Takaba panicked at the sight of the gun, any gun that could shoot him, "Ye….yes."

Asami's breath warmed Takaba's neck as he spoke and continued to slide the gun tip down each cheek and then further down to Takaba's collarbone, "It's just metal. _It_ can't hurt you," he paused, "Only a person can do that. The man that shot you is dead."

"He….He is?" Takaba stammered. Even through his tank top he could feel the cool metal that seemed to sear his skin.

"So you think being held up here that you are safe? I could shoot you right here, right now, and prove you wrong." Asami stated as he traced patterns with the gun on Takaba's chest while pressing his leg between the young man's legs causing a spark deep within Takaba to be ignited.

"Look at me Takaba!" Asami demanded and the boy slowly raised his head. "There are any number of ways you could get killed out there but that never stopped you before."

"I know but…." Takaba started to say but Asami swooped in and sealed Takaba's lips in a fierce kiss.

Feeling the younger man immediately return the kiss with all the passion that Asami knew was there, he pressed the gun into Takaba's hand.

His fingers shook and it felt heavy in his grip but Takaba had no choice but to hold it with Asami's hand over his own. He couldn't protest with Asami's mouth covering his.

Asami broke the kiss only to move his mouth further down Takaba's neck. As he slid up the tank top, he took the gun again in his grip. As his tongue found one beaded nipple, the gun tip teased the other.

Takaba was mindless after just one kiss that the gun ceased to bother him. All he could feel was the warmth radiating through him from Asami's heat. Asami continued to caress the young man's body with the cold piece of metal while his lips warmed him at the same time.

Takaba was panting from Asami's ministrations before the older man even slid down the boxers. The cold metal of the barrel pressed against Takaba's groin while Asami took his already hard cock into his mouth.

"No….stop….I'm dirty….I haven't…..showered…." Takaba protested though he didn't get the chance to say that it had been days since he showered.

He sucked hard, his head bobbing while he worked the young man over, Takaba's words ignored. It wasn't long until Takaba's hands fisted in Asami's hair and he squirmed beneath the touch.

Asami abruptly stood up and yanked Takaba to the bed, tossing him on it. Takaba's eyes widened as the older man fit himself between the boy's legs and held the gun point blank against his chest.

"Look at me Takaba!" Asami demanded again and those fearful eyes met his own lustful ones. "Are you scared?"

All Asami had to do was pull the trigger and Takaba would die with the gun centered over his heart, but surprisingly enough, he wasn't scared.

Defiance glittered back at Asami through those hazel eyes, "No."

Asami smirked, and set the gun down on the bedside table. Then he ravaged Takaba's mouth with his own. He pulled back after leaving the young man breathless and wanton.

"We'll have to take care of that." Asami stated standing up and pulling Takaba from the bed.

"Take care of what?" Takaba was confused.

"Hey," Asami said as he pulled Takaba towards the bathroom, "You were the one who said you hadn't showered."

Asami swung Takaba into the shower and turned on the faucet. The icy water hit Takaba and he screamed.

"You asshole, you could have warmed it up first." Takaba yelled.

"You needed a cold shower." Asami stated glancing down at Takaba's very evident erection. "Hurry up, get dressed because we are leaving."

"Oh no we're not!" Takaba replied.

Asami glared at the young man, "You can get ready or I will _help_ you get ready and I will call Suoh to assist me if I need to."

Takaba's eyes bulged, "You wouldn't?"

"Oh," Asami said smoothly, "I think you know very well that I would."

"Fine….fine I'm getting ready, see?" He said taking his Loufah sponge and lathering his body quickly.

"Good boy," Asami's eyes sparkled, "I'll be downstairs waiting. And Takaba…..you will come down."

Asami turned and left the young man alone. He leaned back against the cool tiles and closed his eyes. He had no choice; Asami would definitely come back upstairs and drag him out if he didn't go willingly.

**Hope you are all still enjoying this story. I just love these two. Please let me know what you think. Do you wonder where they are going?**


	27. First Impressions 27

Haruto, Dr. Stevens, and of course Asami, were standing in the foyer with Suoh and Kirishima as well as Collins when Takaba came down the stairs in jeans, sneakers, a t-shirt, and a long sleeve shirt over it unbuttoned.

Haruto's immediate relief at seeing his son showered and dressed to go out was clearly evident in his expression. The man had been losing hope that his son would recover from being shot. Physically, Takaba was fine but mentally, well, that was another story and as each day passed that Takaba stayed shut up in his room, the more Haruto's hope turned to despair.

"Well," Takaba said sarcastically, "I'm here. What now?"

"Now we leave," Asami stated.

The three security guards headed out first to the waiting vehicles. According to Asami's instructions, Haruto and the doctor would go in their own car while his men, he, and Takaba went in the BMW. He left no room for argument from anyone. If he was going to help, they had to follow his rules. Haruto and Dr. Stevens were willing to comply if it was for Takaba's benefit.

Takaba slowly made his way to the open door but stopped just at the threshold, frozen in place. When he had went to his doctor appointments after being discharged, Haruto had to give him medication to knock him out in order to get him out of the house. Not this time. Asami had already made it clear that Takaba was to receive nothing.

Asami came up behind the young man and put his hands on the kid's shaking shoulders. He discreetly pressed his body against Takaba's, warming and relaxing the younger man. After a deep breath, Asami gently pushed Takaba forward, encouraging him to move.

About half way to the car, Takaba suddenly turned and dashed back in the direction he came. Although Suoh was a big guy, he was quick, and had the struggling young man in his grasp before Takaba reached the door.

"Let me go, you big gorilla!" Takaba fought against the unyielding arms leading him to the car once again. Asami stood by the open car door, trademark smirk firmly in place.

Takaba glared at the older man but the bitter taste of defeat was thick in his mouth and he reluctantly climbed into the car. In the small interior of the car, Takaba sat as far from Asami as physically possible with the man's sheer size and just stared out the window.

"Where are we going?" He asked without turning to look at Asami.

"You'll see," Asami replied. His tone was casual, not stressed in the least which angered Takaba.

_Everything is so easy for you, isn't it? Does anything ever get to you? You act like this is no big deal but you were not the one shot in broad daylight with people all around you. _In his mind, Takaba berated Asami though he didn't speak the words allowed. _Why are you even helping me? You don't care about me, I am just some fuck toy to replace your dead lover and I fully believe that even if you do say that I am wrong._

Takaba had fallen fast and hard for the older man. At first, he had been angry at Asami for making him want the older man physically, but had come to quickly fall in love with him. He loved the sex he had with the drop dead gorgeous man with the body of Adonis, but he also felt safe with him. After seeing Asami with Misha at dinner that night, he dreamt about being in her place. He dreamt about Asami's attention and affection. Apparently the man could show affection to Misha though Takaba had never been on the receiving end of it, not like having Asami's arm around his waist or wining and dining him.

Takaba was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't realized when the car stopped until that smooth baritone voice soothed him.

"Takaba, we're here." Asami said, studying the young man intently for his reaction.

Takaba focused his attention outside the window of the car and immediately started shaking his head, "Oh no!" he hissed, "No way, you deceiving bastard!"

Only a few feet from his car door was the very spot where he fell to his knees and thought his life was over. The memory of the pain in his side and the blurred figures swarming around him flooded his mind. His eyes were wide yet intense and his entire body trembled in fear.

Asami could see the young man's fear, smell it, and he knew that Takaba would not handle it well. He got out of the car and walked around to Takaba's side. Suoh was on Asami's side of the car in case Takaba tried to run, blocking that exit.

Asami opened the door and held out his hand, "Come on."

Takaba just stared at the offered hand but made no move to get out. His father and Dr. Stevens were in the car behind them but did not get out either.

"Takaba," Asami ordered in a no-nonsense tone, "Come with me," he said softly while his golden eyes held Takaba's own angry glare.

There really was no way out for him with Suoh and Kirishima standing guard and if he didn't move on his own, Asami might just drag him out of the car.

He hesitantly slipped his shaking hand into Asami's and allowed the older man to pull him out of the safe sanctuary of the vehicle.

"Good boy," Asami whispered.

Then Asami turned Takaba toward the office building placing his hands on the young man's shoulders. The quick rise and fall of Takaba's rapid breathing could be felt under Asami's grasp. Takaba's father and the doctor went to the entrance of the building Takaba worked in and stood watching.

Asami nudged Takaba forward carefully and the young man took a few steps before abruptly turning toward the older man and grabbing the lapel of Asami's suit coat, crinkling it in his fists.

"No….Asami I can't….." Takaba pleaded desperately.

"You can." He stated confidently, "And you will."

"You asshole!" Takaba hissed angrily knowing he had no way out of the situation he was currently in.

"We are not leaving until you walk over there." Asami stated, his face void of emotion.

"Fine bastard! Does this make you happy!" Takaba ranted and swung around, fists at his side while he stormed down the sidewalk, a man on a mission. Before he had time for his anger to turn back into fear, he was there, at the huge revolving door. Then he turned to see the tell tale smirk on the older man's face. But he also realized in that moment that Asami had tricked him. He had known that Takaba would get angry and had used that to his advantage.

Haruto and Dr. Stevens were beaming with happiness but Takaba was too angry to be happy.

"I did it. Are we done now?" Takaba said sarcastically at Asami who was sauntering up to him.

"Do what ever you want," Asami shrugged.

Takaba's eyes sparkled briefly before he bolted from the entrance and ran down the sidewalk.

"Asami!" Haruto said startled and worried for his son.

"He will be fine." Asami stated and without another word, made his way back to his car.

That evening at the club, Asami was entertaining a couple of business partners and their women for the night at a secluded booth on the second floor when his phone rang.

"Asami," he stated.

"Boss, he's here." Suoh said from his place at the front doors to the club.

"Get him a drink and send him up here." Asami replied then addressed his companions, "Excuse me gentlemen I have something urgent to take care of."

As Takaba reached the top of the stairs, he spotted Asami sitting down at the bar, an empty stool next to him. Takaba sat down with both hands around his beer, staring at it.

"What are you doing here?" Asami asked.

"I….I just….I don't….know really," He replied. "I was afraid. I have been walking around since this afternoon and it was easier than I thought it would be."

"You just needed to do it, Takaba." Asami stated.

"No…..You made me do it." He paused to take a huge gulp of his beer, "What I don't get is why?"

Asami chuckled, "Maybe you will someday."

"What does that even mean?" Takaba hissed. "I don't understand you at all."

When Asami didn't respond, Takaba said, "You use me and torment me due to your misguided affection for some dead lover and then you turn around and rescue me from danger, hell, even myself. What's up with that? It's twisted!"

Asami took Takaba forcefully by the arm and dragged him to the office. Takaba almost had to run to keep up with the massive strides Asami took from the bar to the office door. Once inside, he swung Takaba around and slammed the door.

"Let's get one thing straight right now," Asami demanded, for once not hiding his seething rage.

Takaba was already shaking from the storm brewing in Asami's eyes and the harsh tone in the older man's voice. He was shoved down into a chair and Asami gripped both arms of that chair, leaning in until their faces were mere inches apart.

"Jun is alive, not dead. In fact I saw him a while ago in Japan." Asami stated and saw the hurtful look that was returned to him.

"That's good news for you isn't it?" Takaba tried to sound indifferent but his voice wavered as he avoided Asami's gaze.

Then Asami took Takaba's chin between his thumb and forefinger forcing the younger man to meet his gaze, "Do you see him here? Is he the one that I am with at this very moment? Is he the one that I _rescued_?" Asami said harshly.

The tears were so close to spilling out of Takaba's eyes that he willed himself not to blink. _No, Jun wasn't there, he was. He was the one Asami brought back to life over and over again after terrible things happened to him. Did that mean Asami…..?_

"You. Are. Mine. In every way Akihito," Asami said and crushed his lips to Takaba's own trembling ones.

As he devoured the younger man's mouth, tasting the beer mixed now with the salty tears, he felt Takaba, unable to resist, cup his face in his hands returning the heated kiss. The dam had broken and all of the passion and longing Takaba had been feeling flooded into that kiss. In that moment, there was no other place Takaba wanted to be.

When Asami finally pulled back to gaze at Takaba, the young man was beaming with a huge grin.

"Are you trying to tell me that you love me?" Takaba teased.

Asami smirked and yanked Takaba from the chair, strode to the couch and tossed him down on it, "I'll do better than that…..I'll show you."


	28. First Impressions 28

After three rounds of mind-blowing sex, Takaba was completely and utterly spent. As he lay naked on the couch he watched Asami pull up his pants, tuck in his shirt, and sit down on the end of the couch so Takaba's head could rest on his lap. Of course, Takaba was not sure he could move any more than that in his _just-fucked _state so he didn't even try.

For several minutes, all he did was lay there with Asami's hand caressing the side of his head. Then he shifted his position so he could look up at the gorgeous, yet unpredictable older man.

"Asami, I….I….," Takaba stammered wanting desperately to say those three little words but still afraid to utter them. Would it make him look weak? For those brief few moments while in their sated state, Takaba didn't want to let go but he also had no idea where he and Asami would go from here. "I….think I should go," he finally said.

Asami raised on brow at his young lover. He could see that Takaba had some inner conflict he was dealing with so he simply said, "Do what you need to do."

Takaba grimaced as he tried to get up to gather his clothes and get dressed. Asami simply smirked at the young man's troubles. Takaba was cursing under his breath from the pain in his lower back after being pounded over and over by the older man who had made him come three times.

"It's not funny, you sadistic bastard." Takaba hissed but only received an amused look from Asami.

"No it's not funny, it's rather adorable." Asami said.

"Oh, ha, ha, ha!" Takaba said sarcastically as he finished getting dressed.

Takaba fidgeted and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand as he usually did when nervous.

"So…..I'll see you later." He said and Asami nodded before Takaba ran out the door.

**May 5 Takaba's Birthday**

For some, this bright sunny day was a day for celebration of life, the day for the parents as well as the child blessing one another with a gift so precious as life however, for others it was a day of anguish and dread, of not knowing from one minute to the next if a person's life would end in agony and despair.

Alone, in a soundproof room, somewhere in New York, a person wondered just that, _am I going to die?_ Blindfolded, gagged, and bound to a chair after being abducted certainly gave off that kind of air. Silence, for who knows how long, was thick in the room but was sliced in half when the steel door opened and footsteps were heard.

_What is going to happen to me? What is going on? Who are these people? _The questions plagued a fearful mind while apprehension drove the body to tremble.

Sound heightened by the lack of other senses focused on the footsteps of the concrete floor, closer…..and closer still. The scuffling of the shoes caused the bound limbs to startle and pull at the restraints instinctively, the fight or flight mechanism of the body was in full alert.

A flash at once when the blindfold and gag came off and the gasp that followed was a horrendous moment of realization as two sets of eyes, one set murderous while the other consumed with fear.

"Ryu!" Misha screamed.

A smirk in response along with, "What? Not happy to see me?" The tone was deadly, menacing.

"What's going on? What are you doing?" Misha asked terrified at the icy cold glare she was given.

"You really are in no position to question me," Asami said utterly calm.

Then he took his time lighting up a cigarette and savoring the taste although it did not relieve the bitterness at seeing the deceitful, treacherous woman before him. He smoked slowly while staring at the once beautiful woman who now disgusted him.

"You tried to kill Takaba…..and then me. Did you really think you could get away with all this?" He asked casually.

"I…..I didn't…..know what else…..to do….." She stammered through the tears that spilled down her cheeks. "I….was angry at _him_, and then at you. It…..it got out of hand….."

Asami took a long drag off his cigarette, finishing it, and crushing it under his shoe.

"I gave you a choice to walk away but you didn't take it." He stated.

"Ryu, please," she begged pulling against the restraints, "I did it because I love you. I…..wanted you to love me." She pleaded.

"No Ryu, I wanted to be with you. I told him _not _to kill you, I swear!" She screamed.

Asami strode right up to her and hovered over the trembling woman, "_That_ is obsession, not love."

"Please Ryu, give me another chance, please!" She begged.

In that moment, something dark and sinister lurking within the older man came creeping to the surface. Faded and distorted images from long ago begged to be unleashed.

Asami reached behind Misha and his fingers curled around the object. Then the tip of the knife was ever so gently pressed against the flawless cheek.

Misha gasped.

"You are no longer beautiful. Maybe, you should look as evil as you are deep inside?" He said with amusement.

"No! Ryu, please no." Misha pleaded.

For several breath holding minutes, Asami didn't move the knife. He could smell her fear, see her dazed expression, and he was getting exactly what he wanted. He wanted her so terrified to the point she nearly passed out which didn't take much obviously because she looked like she was about to do just that.

In the back of his mind a voice called out to him, _do it Ryu! Become the man I know you to be, a powerful man, the one who decided if one's life is worth living. You, Asami Ryuichi, are the one who decides, that is the power I give you._

The first time he heard those words he gripped the knife tightly and slit the bound man from ear to ear, the scent of the blood on his hands making him nearly gag.

He loosened his grip on the knife and hesitantly set it down. Then he yanked Misha back by the hair gazing into her wide terrified eyes.

"I should kill you, _want_ to kill you." He said as she sobbed. "But even that won't satisfy me. I want you to go on. I want you to remember what you have done and what could have happened here. I will always be watching you. You should fear me anytime you even think of doing something like this again. My face should be the one you see and remember…..Next time I won't hesitate."

Then he let her head go abruptly. He walked around in front of her, "Instead, I'll make sure you never forget me."

He nodded for Suoh to release her bound wrists and ankles only to bind her wrists behind her back. As soon as he was done, Asami yanked Misha down by her hair to her knees.

"Open your mouth," he demanded.

Misha still had a terrified expression and the trembling did not cease, but she did as he instructed as she watched him pull himself from the confines of his pants. Then he grabbed her head and thrust into her mouth hard. Asami's relentless assault caused Misha to cough and gag repeatedly while tears spilled once again from her eyes due to the rough thrusting of Asami's thick cock hitting her throat. Misha could not breath and was nearly about to pass out when Asami pushed her away. She fell back on the floor with a thud.

Asami yanked her up to her unsteady feet and swung her around, slamming her face down on the table. Through her blurred vision, Misha saw him pick something up as her cheek lay pressed against the wooden table.

Asami moved behind her and lifted her skirt to find her clit and rub it with his fingertips. From their previous encounters, Asami knew that she was very sensitive. But that's not all he knew, she was rather prudish in bed. Sure she liked a few positions but no toys or bondage type things. He felt her getting wet, her body betraying her as he continued to rub.

"Ryu…..ah….." Misha panted in a mixture of panic and pleasure.

Asami shoved the vibrator he had in his hand into Misha's wet center but he wasn't gentle about it. No, he wasn't doing it to get her off, he was doing it so that she will always remember.

"Ryu," Misha cried, "Stop…..it hurts…..too big….."

"Come now Misha, we are just getting started," Asami said soothingly.

"Please don't!" she cried.

Asami used the toy on her, ignoring her protests. But just as suddenly, he stopped and pulled it out.

Misha glanced behind her at the cold eyes. He was quite scary with the expression on his face and Misha had no idea what to think at that point about the man she thought she knew.

"It's nice and wet now so I won't need lubrication," Asami stated and pushed the tip against her entrance.

"Ryu!" She gasped, "No!" when she felt the vibrator at a place that had never been entered.

Asami smirked and pushed the toy in slowly, grunting as he took it deeper while watching Misha toss her head back, scrunch up her face, and scream fiercely.

"Ahhhhh…Please, noooooo!" She screamed.

Asami felt the icy blood flowing through his veins as he pounded her over and over. He was actually out of breath and beginning to sweat when he stopped, but it was far from over.

Misha was dizzy and unable to move by that point. Her entire backside and lower back burning from the excruciating violence bestowed upon her by her once, lover. She was tired, so tired and exhausted by that time that she could not even comprehend struggling.

As long as he didn't move the vibrator, she felt that she could again try to breathe, though Asami never pulled it out. Instead, she faintly heard the sound of another one through the ringing in her ears. Every muscle was sore from tensing her body against the intrusion of the object Asami had used on her.

"You know, if I allowed this to go on long enough, you could lose your mind, permanently." Asami informed her. "But I won't go that far. I want your mind sharp so you never forget the pain I gave you. Having to live with those memories and your own wickedness as a shadow that follows you forever is far worse than if I were to kill you now."

Then Asami thrust another toy into her center so she had two vibrators inside her, one in each hole.

"Wow Misha, if I had known you would look so appetizing like this I would have done this a long time ago." He chuckled.

The sensations were too much for the model, feeling the pain of being stretched and torn along with the vibrations caused her to whimper as she was so far beyond vocalizing real words by that point. Unable to stand the torture any longer, the young woman slipped into unconsciousness.

"Awe, I guess playtime is over." Asami said, pulling out the toys, turning them off, and setting them back on the table. Not even bothering to clean the trickle of blood that had run down her thighs from being torn in the back, Asami turned and walked to the door.

Stopping near Kirishima, he said, "Take her to our doctor and have him look her over and treat her. Then take her back to her hotel, discreetly of course."

Asami went from what he considered a secret panic room in the basement of the building to the top floor, the penthouse and decided it was time to get ready for work though he still had a couple of hours yet.

He glanced again at his phone as he had done all morning before meeting with Misha. Not that he was expecting a call from anyone but today was Takaba's birthday. Maybe he should call the younger man and wish him well? No, Takaba was so easy to read that Asami was confident that his club would be where Takaba came to for celebrating with his friends.

Asami laid down on his bed after changing into his robe. He did feel vindicated by what he did today however it had been a close call for him. In the span of a couple of hours, the once 15 year old boy had slit a man's throat and shot another to prove his worth to his yakuza father.

It was soon after that Asami realized he didn't want that kind of life, didn't want to be that kind of person. For so many years he ran from it and had thought that had been enough. He was wrong. He really had wanted to kill Misha and he knew he had the will to do it but what would crossing that line do for him, his sanity. He had killed others in self defense while protecting clients but those were justified killings, not cold blooded murder. As if it were yesterday, he could still see those men, their faces, and their blood. That event early in his life had changed him.

In a situation like today, he had to fight his own demons to keep from turning into what his father was and it had been very difficult. All his anger at Ben Pruett and Misha rose to the surface all at once, how they both hurt Takaba. With Pruett, it had been different because he rushed Takaba to the hospital and stepped back enough for the boiling rage to be manageable. Not today, he just could not control himself and almost crossed that line. _Could that ever happen again?_

**Thanks for reading and the reviews are so important to me. I read each and every one sometimes more than once to get a feel for what you liked and didn't like. Anyway, thanks again because without you there truly is no story.**


	29. First Impressions 29

Takaba and Takato rolled their eyes at their friend who sighed and said, "We should have left sooner, guys! Look at this line."

It was dark as they climbed out of the taxi in front of the club they frequented, only to find that there were more than 20 people waiting in line to enter the place. The booming music could be heard every time the door was opened for another group to go inside.

The three men had gone to dinner that had taken longer than they had expected so Kou was flustered that they would have to wait in the cue on his friend's 24th birthday.

"Aki," they heard when Brenda, Stacy, and Clark found them in the crowd of people.

"Hey guys," Takaba said smiling happily, unlike Kou, he was not going to allow the wait to dampen his mood.

"Hey dude," Kou said in Takaba's ear, "Why don't you go sweet talk gorilla guy to let us in."

Suoh was obviously the doorman that night and Takaba was surprised that he didn't simply frighten off the patrons by his large overbearing stature. He never had a very friendly expression but then again, he was the bouncer so he probably had an image to uphold. The, _don't give me any shit,_ type of image apparently.

While the natives were getting restless, Takaba took out his phone again when it vibrated. All day long when he received a text or call, his heart thumped, expecting a certain person to have contacted him. Unfortunately, every time had been a disappointment. _It is my birthday after all and the selfish bastard can't even call to wish me well? Damn him!_

But that didn't stop Takaba from coming to the club to celebrate and possibly _accidentally_ running into the man. It had been over a week since they had seen one another last. But that was partially Takaba's fault since he had been bombarded with jobs after returning to work.

Takaba all but jumped into the air to get Suoh's attention but when he did, the man nodded and put his hand to his ear, speaking to someone. In a matter of seconds, another huge bouncer appeared at Takaba's side.

"You and your friends, follow me." He said gruffly.

"Okay," Takaba shrugged, "Come on guys," he said to the group and the man parted the crowd to allow them straight to the door.

When they got to the entrance, the large man exchanged places with Suoh and he led them inside. They were led upstairs to a corner booth that overlooked the entire dance floor. A petite woman in a white-collar shirt and short skirt came to take their drink order.

"Wow Aki, this is great," Clark said.

"Yeah, are you like a VIP or something?" Brenda asked.

"Our friend Aki here knows the owner," Kou beamed, wrapping an arm around Takaba's neck.

They all talked a while and drank a couple of beers a piece before heading to the dance floor. It was a night for dancing and celebrating. The flashing lights, loud techno music, and the alcohol easily swayed the birthday group, so it was no wonder that they were trying to scream at one another over the booming speakers and laughing as they bumped into people and tripped over others.

For the man on a mission, Takaba was determined to have a great time with his friends and colleagues whether the bastard wished him happy birthday or not. Asami all but told Takaba that he loved him so what was up with the older man to not even call? Takaba let the energy of the music flow through his veins as he gracefully moved, catching the eye of men and women alike.

Takaba threw his head back and only opened his eyes for a split second, but it was enough to catch a glimpse of the older man standing on the second floor of the club with one hand holding a cigarette and the other in his pants pocket. He looked rather casual standing there as the rainbow of colored lights flashed around him.

Suddenly, frozen where he stood, Takaba stared. His ever-observant friend, Takato, noticed the unusual halt to Takaba's excitement and followed his eyes to where he was currently looking.

"Aki?" He said close to Takaba's ear.

"Uh….hey….I probably should go thank Asami for tonight. You know….for saving us a table and everything." Takaba said nervously, shifting from on foot to the next.

"Yeah, sure, go ahead." Takato said but when he glanced again at the older man while Takaba headed for the stairs, he thought Asami had a strange intense look on his face.

Takaba bounded up the stairs, reaching the top, he saw the back of the tall man still standing near the railing overlooking the dance floor. Takaba walked over and stood next to him.

"So, anything you want to say to me tonight?" Takaba asked prodding the older man.

Asami's head slowly turned to meet Takaba's bright sparkling gaze. The young man thought he was being cute, and well….he was.

Asami however, could not pass up such a great opportunity to tease the younger man and replied, "How's work?"

"Try again," Takaba said.

"It's nice to see you?" Asami said.

The sparkle in those huge eyes turned to a fierce fire in an instant "Really?! Is that all you can come up with?"

"What were you expecting, Takaba?" Asami purred, moved behind the young man whose hands were gripping the railing, and leaned his mouth oh so close to Takaba's ear, "Did you want me to say….._happy birthday, Akihito_?" Asami said seductively as he pressed the full length of his body against Takaba's rigid one.

"He….Hey, stop it. We are in public." Takaba protested.

"So?"

"So stop. My friends are right down there." Takaba whined. And they were all down on the dance floor, all but one. Takato wasn't much of a dancer so he stood along the sideline of the floor simply watching his friends, Takaba in particular. Takato was smart and the way Asami was leaning over his friend speaking into his ear while Takaba's eyes briefly closed did not go unnoticed by the observant man.

Asami's hands covered Takaba's on the railing and he whispered, "Come to my office. I have a present for you."

Just the warmth of Asami's breath tickling his ear sent, what felt like lightning bolts, through Takaba's body. Takaba turned his head toward the older man and leaned back to see him clearly.

"N….No…..Not now, I am wi…..with my friends." Takaba stammered already over come by the heat entwining their bodies, the energy swirling around them, consuming them both.

"They won't miss you for a little while. It's just a present." Asami stated and grasped Takaba's hand to lead him to the door near the bar marked PRIVATE.

Before crossing the threshold after Asami opened the door, Takaba hesitated. _What kind of present do you have for me, _he wondered. Knowing Asami, it was probably the man himself. Takaba chuckled to himself at the thought of Asami wearing nothing but a huge bow on that perfectly sculpted body, naked right before his eyes. _Yeah, that would be just like him._

As soon as the door closed, Takaba immediately started backing up until he felt the desk behind him, Asami kept close, trapping the young man. He could already see the blush, hear the ragged breathing from Takaba's anticipation of what would happen next.

Never breaking eye contact, Asami loosened his tie, removing it completely, and swiftly secured the younger man's wrists behind his back before he could even protest.

"Hey…..what the…..?" Takaba gasped but his lips were crushed to Asami's stifling any further complaints.

Takaba struggled but it was a futile attempt with his hands bound and his body sandwiched between the desk and Asami. By the time Asami's mouth moved to Takaba's neck, he already unfastened the buttons on the young man's shirt. His warm strong hands felt like silk gliding over Takaba's cool exposed chest and caused him to shiver.

Takaba's flushed face, eyes closed, and mouth hanging open was such an erotic sight to Asami and between the shower of kisses he was bestowing on Takaba, he said, "I was going to take it slow but (kiss) with that adorable expression (kiss) it can't be helped."

Then Asami focused his attention on Takaba's erect nipples, his fingertips caressing one while his tongue took the other.

"Hah…..stop saying such….hah….embarrassing things…..hah," Takaba panted and writhed beneath the touches igniting a fire deep within his core.

In one fluid motion, Asami yanked the belt and jeans loose, shoving them down and hoisting the young man up onto the desk.

The expression on Takaba's face looked pained as he licked his lips while glancing down to see Asami gazing intently at him as he took Takaba into his mouth. The young man's full length disappeared as Asami deep throated his rock hard erection.

Takaba twisted and squirmed, pulling against his restraint but the fabric did not budge. It was frustrating and so stimulating at the same time to want to fist the older man's hair and not being allowed to touch him. All Takaba could do was push his hips forward each time Asami backed off.

While they continued their little rhythmic dance, Asami reached up and pressed his fingers to Takaba's mouth. The young man was quick to take them in and suck on them greedily. When Asami thought it was sufficient, he moved up to hover over Takaba while spreading the young man's legs and quickly thrust in two fingers. To stifle Takaba's cries, he covered his mouth with his own.

"You're so tight, sucking them in. Can you feel it, Takaba?" Asami purred against Takaba's lips.

"Bastard…..shut up…..hah…." Takaba breathed.

In his mind, Asami thought, _oh my Akihito there is so much more I could do to you. _Asami did have a fetish and a secret room just to satisfy that fetish but he had yet to take Takaba in there. He imagined how erotic Takaba would look bound with leather and ropes. Just that thought alone could almost make him come, _almost_.

"Asami…..hah…..please….." Takaba begged.

"What do you want?" Asami purred near Takaba's ear, "Do you want me to fill you up in here?" he said pushing his fingers further into Takaba's slick hole.

"Ah….yeah…..please….." Takaba moaned.

Asami suddenly withdrew his fingers and moved away from the dazed young man and stood straight. When Takaba glanced at the older man in confusion at the abrupt halt to his seduction, he saw the raw heated desire in Asami's eyes. The older man slowly unfastened his pants and shoved them down, briefs too and sat on the couch.

"Come here." Asami demanded while unbuttoning his shirt.

Takaba slid off the desk and came over to where Asami sat with his thick cock erect and exposed. Asami let the tie loose and took Takaba's hands, placing them on his shoulders.

Then his eyes bore into the young man's as he held his cock firmly in his hand and ordered, "Ride me."

Takaba's eyes widened in apprehensive shock though Asami looked so _freaking hot_ with his hand wrapped around his thick length, "Asami I've…..I don't….." He stammered.

Takaba did not have the experience of sex that Asami had and he wasn't sure he would do it right. Suddenly, he felt shy and nervous but Asami reached out, grasped Takaba's hips and pulled the young man on top of him.

Instinctively, Takaba straddled Asami's thighs and their erections pressed together. Asami took both in his hand, rubbing them as if they were one.

All Takaba could do at the intimate contact was hold on tight to Asami's shoulders, panting and moaning. _Oh God, _Takaba thought, _it feels…..it feels…._

"Soooo good," He moaned.

The further Takaba drowned in the pleasurable sensations wracking his body, the more he relaxed. Asami lifted Takaba's hips and positioned himself for entry. Just as the reality of what was about to happen hit Takaba, Asami thrust up and in.

Takaba tensed and screamed, "Ah…..hurts…..it hurts!"

But Asami held his hips firmly, unmoving as he completely filled the younger man. He knew that Takaba would feel it more in this position, that he could go deeper that way.

To lessen the pain, Asami bit and sucked at Takaba's nipples until he began to relax. Then Asami started a slow rhythm of moving Takaba's hips, showing the younger man how to move.

It wasn't long before Takaba's raging fire was building and he took over impaling himself over and over again using his grasp on Asami's shoulders for leverage.

"Ride me…..feel how deep inside of you I am," Asami groaned.

The words made Takaba speed up. He couldn't get enough, faster and faster. _So good, it feels so freaking good,_ Takaba thought as he pushed down needing all of Asami.

When Asami noticed Takaba's muscles tense around him and his erratic breathing as he lost all control, wildly throwing his head back screaming, Asami wrapped his arms around the younger man pulling him close. He reached between them with one hand to stroke Takaba while the other held the smaller waist.

"A…..Asami…..I can't…..I'm gonna…Ngh!" Takaba screamed out as he squirted onto Asami's chest and stomach.

Asami immediately grasped Takaba's hips hard needing only two more thrusts before he held Takaba down and exploded inside of him.

"Nnh," he grunted as the liquid pulsed out of him.

Before either of them had a chance to catch their breaths, there was a knock at the door though neither of them wanted to pull free of the embrace, Takaba's arms tight around Asami's neck and Asami's arms around Takaba's waist.

Neither cared that the light sheen of sweat covering Takaba's chest was dampening Asami's hair as the older man pressed his cheek against the younger man's heaving chest.

"That is probably your friends wondering where you are?" Asami said just before they heard the vibrations from the phone in Takaba's forgotten jeans on the floor.

Takaba stiffened, "Shit! I took too long. I gotta go," Takaba said frantically and winced as he rose up off of Asami.

Asami smirked as Takaba grabbed some tissues and made a disgusted face cleaning himself up. Then he threw the tissue box at Asami and started to dress quickly, stumbling to get his underwear and jeans on. All the while, wincing from the pain in his lower back.

By the time he was ready to leave, Asami was dressed and again took Takaba into his arms, "Happy birthday, Akihito."

Takaba met his eyes and Asami could see the sparkle there. _Yes, Takaba did like his birthday present._

"I…..thank you…." He said and tore himself away to swing the door wide open and run out.

**Thanks for reading and reviewing. Although they seem content now, there is always danger lurking around the corner for our guys. A storm is coming…**


	30. First Impressions 30

**Sorry, there was a mix up on my end and I posted the wrong chapter. It is fixed now though. Anyway, thanks for sticking with me through out this story. I have my days and some chapters are written better than others. If anyone has thoughts or suggestions let me know. I know some writers have others who proof read their chapters before posting. If anyone knows who can do this for these characters let me know, I would love the extra input, PM me anytime. Thanks!**

Takaba made his way to the table where only Takato had been left. It was not long however, until the gang was all there and they were drinking while telling stories about their times with Takaba.

A man, a few years older than the people in the group came up to the table. Takaba glanced up and immediately smiled at Doug Hammond.

"Hey, Ham-man, it's been a while," Takaba said and shook the other man's hand.

"Aki, you look well." Doug replied.

"Yeah, well, so do you." Takaba said.

"Who is this guy, Aki?" Kou asked the question everyone at the table was thinking.

"Oh, this guy? He and I had some photography classes together." Takaba said. "So how is the paparazzi life?"

Doug chuckled, "Great! I get to run around stalking celebrities all day and night. What could be better?"

Takaba gave him an amused look, "Better you, than me."

After their classes together, Takaba and Doug went their separate ways. Takaba just didn't see what was so fun about running around after celebrities. Of course, there could be risks involved but it was not like his criminal jobs. At least with those he felt a sense of justice. His photos were sometimes pivotal in arresting the bad guys and Takaba felt that was important.

"By the way," Doug said, "I got a tip on that model you did some work for a while back."

"Misha Yatatashi?" Takaba asked.

"Yeah, she got hurt but they are keeping the details under wrap." Doug said. "Earlier today, something happened to her. That's where I just came from."

"What happened?" Takaba asked concerned.

"I don't really know. I did get to her hotel just in time to snap a few shots of her returning there. She was mostly surrounded by security but I did get a glimpse of a pretty bad bruise on her face even though she had on a hat and sunglasses. She had to have help walking too."

"Really?" Takaba said surprised. _I wonder what happened to her? I haven't seen her for a while now. I did see the notice of her engagement being broken in a magazine but Asami has never said anything about it? Does she know about Asami and I?_

"Well, I better go," Doug said.

"Yeah, see ya around," Takaba said.

Takaba didn't see Asami the rest of the night but it didn't matter because with the amount of alcohol he consumed, he didn't even remember leaving the club.

When Takaba woke the following day around noon, he remembered what Doug had said about Misha. It made his curiosity run rampant so he decided to go see her.

It was midafternoon when he got to the hotel and went to her room. He had gained entrance to her floor by using his badge and a story about him doing some photos of her. Since that was pretty common, they allowed him entry. Outside were two huge burly men in black suits standing guard.

"Hey guys," Takaba smiled but neither man acknowledged his presence.

He shrugged and knocked on the door. Raymond answered the door and recognized Takaba from their previous encounters.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Hey, just came to see Misha." Takaba said lightly.

"Well, she is not taking visitors right now." He retorted.

"Awe, come on, we are old friends," Takaba whined.

Raymond, though he was her PR man, didn't know what had happened to Misha either. Misha had received the call from Asami to meet him and that he would send a car. He had told her to come alone so they could talk.

At that time, Misha had no idea what was in store for her. After Asami left her, Kirishima and Suoh had taken her, by Asami's request, to see his private doctor who checked her over and treated her wounds. Luckily, she had only bled from the penetration of the toys but there was no severe damage done. She had called her security to pick her up outside of the small medical clinic and Raymond had come too.

He had been worried about her disappearance and even more so when he saw her condition.

"Misha!" He exclaimed. "What happened to you? Are you alright?"

"I am fine!" She snapped. There was no way she was going to divulge what had transpired earlier in the afternoon.

"Who did this?" Raymond all but yelled.

"Raymond, I am fine and we are not going to have this conversation so don't even ask. Just take me to the hotel."

Misha was in pain and still in shock over Asami's brutal tactics but she had an image to maintain and she did not want what happened to her to get out to the media. No, this was a secret that she would keep to herself. Not to mention the fact that she was now terrified of Asami. If he could get away with that, he could get away with most likely anything. He was a cruel bastard and one she didn't want to cross again.

Hearing the commotion at the door, Misha came out of the bedroom to see what the problem was though she was walking stiffly and wincing occasionally.

Her eyes widened when she saw Takaba standing in the doorway arguing with Raymond. There he was, the young carefree photographer who had caused all of this to happen.

"Aki!" Misha said, "Why are you here?"

"Misha," he said peering at her over Raymond's shoulder, "I….I heard you were hurt. Are you okay?"

"What?" Misha was dumbfounded at his question. He looked genuinely concerned for her when he spoke. Misha took a deep breath and said, "Raymond, let him in."

After Takaba came in, he followed Misha to the living room. Once there, Misha dismissed Raymond so they could be alone. Takaba watched with interest how carefully and reserved Misha was in her movements as she made her way to the couch. Gingerly, she sat down on her side, putting her feet up next to her.

The huge bruise to her cheek was dark and angry looking but aside from that there were no other visible harm done but the way she carried herself suggested that there was more.

Tiredly Misha asked, "Did Asami send you? Come here to finish me off, did you?"

"What…..no, I came to see if you were okay?" Takaba said as he sat down in the chair.

Misha laughed but it sounded rather wicked, "So you came here on your own. I find that hard to believe."

Takaba was confused by her sarcastic tone of voice. Maybe it was because she did know about them?

"Look Misha, I know this might be awkward for you but…."He started to say.

Misha cut him off, "Awkward! It sure the hell is!" Then she laughed again, "You must have balls of steel to show up here after all that has happened."

Sheepishly, Takaba said, "I…..I am sorry about…..you know…Asami."

He twisted his hands in his lap and stared down at them, unsure about what he could and should say to her after stealing her fiancée away.

"Sorry? You are sorry?" Misha was stunned.

Sitting right in front of her was the man she had shot telling her _he _was sorry.

"Well….yeah…..I mean I know you were in love with him but….." Takaba said softly, his nerves paralyzing him.

"That cruel bastard! After what he did to me?" She said motioning to her bruise with her hand. "I will be out of work for at least a month!"

"Wha…..What are you talking about? A…..Asami…..did _that?"_ Takaba's eyes were wide and his expression contorted. _What the hell is she talking about? Asami would never do something like that._

Misha's eyes narrowed curiously, "You mean you don't know?"

"Know what?" Takaba asked innocently.

By his rather confused expression and innocent tone, Misha realized that the young man really didn't know about the events of the previous day.

She took a deep breath and studied him a bit longer before it dawned on her that the young man hadn't been told anything so she tried another tactic to test her theory.

"You recovered well, it seems, from being shot." She said.

"Yeah, it took a while," he said reflecting, "But I am doing okay now."

He didn't seem to acknowledge that he even knew she had been behind the shooting. _He really has no idea what is going on?_

She laughed again, "You really are that naïve?"

"What do you mean?" Takaba asked.

Misha glanced around to see that they were indeed alone and then she made up her mind to tell Takaba everything about her jealousy, the shootings, and what Asami did to her.

As she continued to stare at the distraught and visibly shaking young man who was still trying to wrap his head around all the things that Misha had told him, she added, "Once, I met one of Asami's little fuck toys in the hall of the hotel we were staying at and he told me about Asami's dark side."

She paused but Takaba was utterly silent, in shock, and frozen where he sat. "That sadistic bastard's love of bondage, toys, and the like. After what he did to me, I want no part of it so he is all yours."

Then Misha moved slightly and winced, "Just get out there is nothing more I want to do with either of you. Do you know how angry he would be if he knew you were here now? The last thing I want is to go through _that_ again."

With wobbly legs and his face white as if he had seen a ghost, Takaba slowly rose from the chair and forced his jello-like legs to move. He glanced over his shoulder at her as he passed, "I…..I had no idea. I'm…..sorry," he said softly and quietly retreated from the room.

_Oh my God! If what she said was true…..Why didn't Asami tell me who had shot me? I had a right to know! Could what she said about Asami have been true? Did he really have that other side to him that I had not been exposed to yet? If so, would it rear its ugly head? Should I be worried about what he would do to me?_

Takaba had so many questions and he felt like an idiot. Asami had kept him in the dark about so many things. Takaba thought he knew the older man, but apparently he was dead wrong. He needed answers, had to know if what she said was true. The question was, how to get those answers? Since Asami had been hiding all of this Takaba was sure that he could not simply walk up to the man and ask him outright so what should he do?

Deep down, Takaba knew the answer to that question. There was a new target for him to capture in his viewfinder, _Asami Ryuuichi_.


	31. First Impressions 31

**Hi everyone, hope you are still enjoying the story. The upcoming event will be the last before wrapping things up cause I don't like dragging things out forever. Anyway, let me know what you think as reviews are soooo important. Thanks again for sticking with me.**

Takaba Akihito submerged himself in work the following day but it was not paid work. No, he was using his cat burglar skills to track his unsuspecting target. He kept his distance enough that he could use his zoom lens to see the older man and his security as they casually entered the hotel. Asami moved confidently, one hand in his pants pocket and the other waving in the air as he spoke to Kirishima.

Takaba waited a few minutes before entering the lobby and as luck would have it, was full of people so he could just get lost in the crowd as he continued to silently stalk his target.

Asami went into the bar at the hotel and sat down next to a younger man, well not as young as Takaba, but younger than the 35 year old man in the viewfinder.

After about fifteen minutes, Asami stood and turned to leave the other man but the guy got up to and followed Asami out to the lobby and towards the waiting car. Kirishima and Suoh were close on their heels.

Takaba could not hear the conversation but it appeared as if the guy was angry with Asami by the expression on his face. Asami though, didn't appear ruffled at all. He smirked and got in the BMW while the other guy continued to shout something at the older man.

Confused by what he had just seen, Takaba lowered his camera and stared at the man left behind. That was when he heard the man's voice for the first time.

"This isn't over Asami!" The man yelled as the car pulled out into traffic.

Takaba became instantly curious about the man so he followed the guy around the rest of that day. He didn't do anything out of the ordinary until late that afternoon when he arrived at the club. The sign read _closed_ but the guy tried the door to find it unlocked and went inside.

Takaba waited for a while before doing the exact same thing. When he entered the dimly lit area, the bartender was cleaning glasses and only glanced up when he saw Takaba, then returned to his work. There were a couple of waitresses milling about making preparations for opening the club later that night.

Suddenly, he was brought back from his distraction when he heard that voice again. It became louder and louder as the man came storming down the stairs with Suoh right behind him.

"He can't do this! He can't dump me!" the man said as he hit the last step and came face to face with one Takaba Akihito.

"Who the hell is he," he guy asked Suoh as he nodded toward Takaba."

"No one that you need to know," Suoh barked.

"He's the reason isn't he?" The guy spit out as he glared at Takaba.

"Kobi," Suoh said in a warning tone.

"It's true," said Kobi and he laughed, "_He _is the reason Asami dumped me." It wasn't a question.

"Kobi, just go!" Suoh snapped.

The tension in the air was thick as the two men stared at one another, the words from the guy soaking into Takaba's skin. The apprehension that shown on Suoh's face was definitely cause for alarm in Takaba's mind since Suoh rarely became flustered.

Kobi stepped closer to Takaba until they were no more than a foot apart. Then his piercing gaze swept over Takaba from head to toe and back again.

Kobi chuckled, "Asami dumped me for him? Don't make me laugh."

"That's enough Kobi," Suoh demanded and grabbed Kobi's arm.

"There is no way this _kid_ can satisfy Asami. You tell him I said _good luck_ with that. He'll break the kid." Kobi laughed and yanked free from Suoh. "I'm going, I'm going," he said.

Then as Kobi passed Takaba he said softly, "When Asami tires of you he'll come back to me."

Suoh suddenly shoved Kobi forward and the man laughed all the way out the door.

Suddenly, the clanking sounds of the glasses being put away behind the bar and the shuffling of the waitress's movements vanished and all Takaba could hear was the sound of his heartbeat thudding in his ears along with the echoing of Kobi's words.

Suoh merely stared back at the young man who looked more like a cat with his back arched and it actually made Suoh afraid to move.

He saw the tears welling up in the huge shocked eyes and said, "Takaba," as though he was trying to calm a child with the most soothing tone he could muster.

No way would Takaba show his weakness in that moment so he quickly pivoted on one foot and bolted out the door of the club. Suoh sighed and followed but by the time he got through the door, Takaba was already out of sight. _Dammit, the boss is going to be angry when he finds out about this, _Suoh thought to himself as he grabbed his phone and called Kirishima.

The hour was late; darkness consumed the vacant park with only the light from half a moon slicing through it. Takaba didn't even feel the cool wind or the pelting drops of rain as he sat on a swing, his head hung in defeat.

The desolate park void of civilization fit Takaba's mood perfectly. He had thought his birthday would bring with it a new year, a hopeful one, but the recent events of the past couple of days had slaughtered that thought.

With all that he had found out from Misha and meeting Kobi, Takaba ha been left feeling utterly foolish. Asami had lied to him. _Did that mean he lied about loving me?_ How could he trust Asami with all that he knew?

The rain mixed with his salty tears until there was no way to decipher between them as he stared at the ground watching the water drip into a puddle.

Morning was dawning when Takaba finally returned home feeling as lost as ever. Asami had never been very loving but Takaba thought that was just part of his personality, not that Asami didn't really love him. He had just changed out of his soaked clothes when his phone vibrated on the bedside table.

"This is Takaba Akihito," he said into the phone.

"_Takaba, this is Detective Sarcone and I would like to speak with you regarding a job. Can you meet me at the Belgian Café at 1 O'clock today?_

"Sure," Said Takaba.

"_Great, I'll see you then."_

"Okay bye," Takaba said and hung up.

Work. That was it, something to take his mind off the bastard.

Takaba threw on his signature attire of a t-shirt and jeans to go to his meeting with the detective. Then he revved up his motorcycle and headed out.

He arrived at the café at twelve thirty, that way he could see the detective come in. Not that the call was anything to be skeptical about but he had to be on guard just in case so he sat at a table with his back to the wall and ordered a beer while he waited.

Precisely at one, the detective came in dressed in his cheap suit that screamed, _cop._ The man looked around and when he saw Takaba, came over and sat down.

"Hello, Takaba," Sarcone said.

"Call me Aki, so you have a job for me." Takaba answered.

"Yes," he replied and paused, "It involves a dirty politician."

"Right up my alley," Takaba smiled.

"Yes I hoped so because we cannot get enough evidence on him to arrest him. The DA needs solid evidence and we cannot get close enough." Sarcone stated.

"So why me?" Takaba asked curiously.

"There is speculation that Senator Marcus Bradford has a…._fetish._"

"Doesn't everyone," Takaba murmured, thinking of Asami.

The detective eyed him curiously before continuing, "He likes underage boys. Apparently, his charity 'boys shelter' is a front in order to supply him with these boys. We can't get near the place."

Takaba thought for a few minutes and then said, "But you think I can. I look young."

"He focuses on street kids who have nothing, luring them in and then using them to…..satisfy his appetite. If you could get in there….." Sarcone trailed off.

"I see." Takaba replied and thought about it a few more minutes. Go undercover as a street kid to obtain the evidence. "Sure, I'll do it."

Takaba could do two things by taking that job. 1.) Get away from Asami for a while, and 2.) Bring down a sick perverted prick.

"Glad to hear it. I will be in touch but here is my card if you need to reach me. If there is any trouble, just get a hold of me and I will get you out." Then Sarcone slid a file to Takaba to look over the details. "Keep it." he said and then stood to leave.

"It could be dangerous," Sarcone added, "Bradford has some shady people working for him so be careful.

"I can do it," Takaba said confidently.

Over the next twenty-four hours, Takaba transformed himself from millionaire son to street kid. He could pull off the look of a sixteen-year-old boy with his now black hair and grungy clothes. He only had one problem; he had to be a street kid, with a reputation. So what did he need to do? He needed to hit the streets and become one of them.

This opportunity would give Takaba a chance to step back from Asami to figure out where their relationship stood. Suddenly finding out all about Misha and Kobi had Takaba's mind working overtime. He was angry that Asami kept Misha's involvement a secret and sad after hearing Kobi's words. What was he supposed to think at that point? He didn't want to imagine Asami with other men, especially after Kobi said that he could not satisfy the older man. What did that even mean?

"Hey dad," Takaba said after leaving his room and hitting the last step the following night.

"Yes Aki," Haruto said from the dinner table where he and Dr. Stevens were sitting and eating.

"Ugh, you know this is _still_ creepy." He replied. "Anyway, I have a job and it's a long one so I will be gone for a while. Don't worry though, I will check in when I can."

"Is this job dangerous?" Haruto asked seeing his son's total change in appearance.

"Well, it's better that you don't know." Takaba said.

"Be careful son," Haruto said and stood to hug his boy.

"I will," Takaba returned the hug and then hugged the doctor who had also stood which kind of made his skin crawl.

"I'll see you soon." He said and bounded out the door, backpack slung over one shoulder and revved up his motorcycle.


	32. First Impressions 32

The hour was late as Takaba walked down the dimly lit sidewalk due to more than half the streetlights being either burnt out or shattered in that seedy part of town. The flashy neon signs in the shop windows helped some, inviting the locals to the bars, strip clubs, and occasional convenient store lining both sides of the street.

Of course, most of the businesses were more or less a front for shadier dealings going on behind closed doors. The strip clubs for instance were legal until you went in the back rooms where the lap dances were held to find that the men were getting more than just a dance. As for the bars and convenient stores, they were bullied by the gangs in the neighborhood and they were literally a venue for a smorgasboard of drugs. If you had the money, you could get anything. Even if you didn't, you could usually work off payment in any number of ways.

Only a scattering of people glanced at the 'new kid' as he passed the groups lounging in doorways and on the corners. The kid looked rather ordinary with his tattered baseball cap pulled low over his unruly ink black hair. His worn t-shirt was hidden by the grey hoodie he wore with the faded lettering that matched quite well with his holey jeans and sneakers that had seen better days before their exposure to dirt, grime, and muddy rain puddles. Luckily, Takaba had not thrown away an old pair of fingerless gloves he had once thought were cool in his younger days. Yeah, he could pull off the homeless look.

His backpack made the ensemble complete with each and every pocket worn with holes save for the main compartment, thanks to Kou who never threw anything away.

**A few hours ago….**

"Hey dude," Kou said opening his door when he heard the knock.

"Hey," Takaba said.

Once inside, Takaba asked, "Kou, you still have that old backpack?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I need to borrow it for a while." Takaba said.

"You," Kou paused, "Want that old thing? What for?"

"I need it for a job…..so…..can I use it?"

Kou laughed, "Sure whatever. I'll get it."

When Kou came back with said bag in hand, Takaba's eyes lit up, _it's perfect!_ He took the bag and immediately unloaded his own of a single change of clothes that were in just as bad a condition as the ones on his back. He had only two other things and one was his digital camera. If anyone asked about it, he would just say that he stole it. The other item was an old throw blanket that he bought at the thrift store on his way to Kou's apartment.

He handed his backpack to Kou, "Here, it's a fair trade."

"What!" Kou practically screamed as he looked over Takaba's bag, "You are giving me this? I can't even pronounce the brand name. What is it…..Italian or something?"

Takaba laughed, "Does it matter?"

"Well yeah, this thing probably cost more than everything in my apartment combined!"

"That's okay, it's just a bag." Takaba shrugged.

"Listen Kou, I am going on a job that might take a few days so I won't be available. Next week, have Takato meet me here." He said and handed Kou a piece of paper with the name of a bar and address on it.

"Ok," Kou said with his face scrunched up in confusion.

"I'll see you later," Takaba said and left his friend's apartment to head out into the night. Gone, was Takaba Akihito and all that remained was: Aki, the runaway.

**Back to present time…..**

Those who actually took the time to glance at the young man saw a kid meandering down the sidewalk as if he was home, and quite frankly, he was. The streets were now his home for the duration of the job and since he blended in, no one was the wiser.

He finally came upon a deserted parking lot left untouched for far too long. Weeds sprouted through the cracks in the concrete, some almost up to his knees. Ahead of him there was a train bridge that had been long forgotten, abandoned, just like the three kids under the bridge seeking shelter from the chilly night air. On the opposite side were two much older homeless men covered up with their newspaper blankets.

Aki sat down a few feet from them acting as if he had every right to be there, appearing rather comfortable in his current environment.

During the cool wee hours of the night, however, Aki could not find relief in sleep. For one, he was afraid that the other people around him would steal his bag and for another, he could not stop thinking about the events that drove him to accept the job.

Misha had really tried to kill him out of jealousy? Wow! He would never have suspected her of being capable of doing something like that. If that hadn't been enough to astound him, she explained Asami's unorthodox way of handling the situation. To do something like that to Misha, or anyone, for that matter was something that Aki could not wrap his head around. Maybe if it had been Pruett they were talking about but not Asami. Between Misha's description of Asami and what she had heard about him along with what Kobi said, did Aki have any reason _not_ to believe it? If that was the case then why hadn't Asami done that to him yet? Was he holding back, hiding his sadistic side from Aki? Did that mean that he would always have another that he turned to in order to get his fix? These questions swirled around Aki's mind keeping sleep just out of his grasp.

The first three days were important for Aki to establish his presence in the neighborhood. Those on the street were not very trusting to newcomers. His fourth night under the bridge was the turning point.

"Hey," said a young kid who looked no older than fifteen or so. "You're new." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah, here maybe," Aki said dismissively.

"How long you been on your own?" He asked.

Aki chuckled, "Long enough."

The kid stared at him for a few seconds before flopping down beside him. Aki raised his brows expectantly, waiting for the kid to start a conversation because he looked like he wanted to.

"I'm Danny," said the stranger.

"Aki," He replied.

Neither had to give a last name because it wasn't necessary. On one cared what someone's family name was, being a runaway meant you had no family anyway so it didn't matter.

The kid's cargo pants and t-shirt didn't look all that old, nor did his shoes, though it was apparent that he hadn't showered in a while.

It was like the kid read his thoughts and said, "You like them?" Referring to his clothes.

"They're ok," Aki replied.

"There is a thrift store a couple streets over. Me and some of the guys raided it one night." He smiled triumphantly, "It was easy pickings. I'll let you know if we when we go again, if you want?"

"Sure whatever." Aki said.

"Hey Danny, come on!" Yelled another kid from a few feet away.

"Well, see you around," Danny said and hurried off. Aki watched until the two were out of sight headed toward the main drag where the nightlife was just starting.

Aki was exhausted from the little sleep ha had gotten the past three nights but he had work to do and so far that kid was the first to talk to him. He would have to work his way into that alternative society in order to do his job.

He spotted Danny and his friend exchanging money for a baggy though Aki could not see what was in it. He paused and then started to walk past but Danny stopped him.

"Hey Aki, this guy has anything you need." Danny said.

The older guy gazed at Aki curiously before Danny spoke again, "Poncho, this is Aki," he stated. Then he pointed at his friend, "Aki, this is Loubou."

"Loubou?" Aki asked.

"Yeah," the kids said laughing, "My ex wanted a pair of those Louboutin shoes and I stole them for her but got caught. These douche bags laughed at me and started calling me that."

Danny laughed, "Come on man, it was funny." Then he addressed Aki, "As soon as she got them she dumped him."

Poncho, Loubou, and Danny all laughed so Aki joined in.

But suddenly, their faces turned serious and Aki felt a chill in the air. Their attention was drawn to four guys headed in their direction. For some reason the approaching men made the hair on Aki's neck stand on end and judging by the faces of Aki's new 'friends' these guys were bad news.

One guy stood out from the rest in his stolen designer sneakers and sports wear he was wearing while his friends had similar attire on. The guy nodded when he got closer.

"Poncho, Danny, Loubou," He addressed.

"Topper," Poncho replied while they all nodded back.

Topper narrowed his eyes at Aki and studied him before saying, "Well, well, what do we have here?"

"This is Aki," Danny hurriedly spoke.

By the rigid backs and quick glances between Danny, Poncho, and Loubou, Aki was starting to get nervous rather quickly.

Topper's eyes changed to a more sinister look if that was possible. He continued looking at Aki, just as Kobi had done, his eyes strayed downward and back up again slowly.

"I'll be seeing you soon, _Aki_," he said but something in his tone of voice when he spoke Aki's name caused goose bumps on Aki's skin. None of them moved a muscle as the four men strode on down the sidewalk.

Once they were out of earshot, Danny turned to Aki, "Man, stay away from him. He is bad news and from the look of it, he likes you."

"What do you mean?" Aki asked.

Poncho spoke up, "They don't call him Topper for nothing. He 'tops' anyone he finds to his liking."

As the words sunk in, Aki shuddered. That guy was huge, not quite as tall as Asami but very muscular as well. Did that mean he wanted to 'top' Aki?

"Listen, man," said Loubou, "It doesn't matter if you are straight or not, if Topper wants you then Topper gets you. You understand?"

"Yeah, I get it," Aki said staring into the vacant air in the direction Topper and his goons went.

Aki would have to make a mental note to avoid that guy at all costs. The last thing he wanted or needed was another guy taking advantage of him.

Aki spent the rest of that night with Danny and Loubou. They lifted some soda and chips from the small shop whose attendant thought he was prepared for just the occasion, drawing his gun on them but Loubou was quicker, always was, and the cashier had no chance. Loubou had the gun turned on the cashier before Aki knew what was happening and they loaded their arms with snacks and drinks. After Danny and Aki got everything, Loubou waited until they had exited before he turned and ran, gun in hand.

As much as Aki hated what he had just done, he had to fit in so he went along with it laughing and joking with them about the cashier's freaked out expression. At least no one got hurt.

They headed into an ally that was closed at the other end and sat down. After squelching their hunger, Danny and Loubou both promptly fell asleep. Aki, however, knew his attempt at sleep would be futile.

**Takaba will be meeting the Senator soon but will the Senator like what he sees? And what about Topper? Will Takaba see him soon? If so, what will happen between them? Thanks for reading and reviewing, very helpful.**


	33. First Impressions 33

**Sorry about the wait I was kind of stuck for a while with this chapter and busy with "life" but hopefully I can get back on track. Thanks for reading and let me know what you think might happen or **_**want **_**to happen.**

Aki did the same routine every day since coming to live on the streets, he would stake out the Boys Shelter to see if Senator Bradford was there. Finally, today it paid off because his limo was parked beside the old refurbished building.

It was nothing fancy to look at but it had been renovated and painted bright colors to enhance its appearance. In contrast, the limo looked sorely out of place next to it.

_It's time to take action, _thought Aki as he came out of the shadows to make his debut. He walked up to the limo and his fingertips glided over the shiny smooth metal, as though he were making love to a beautiful woman feeling her soft skin below his fingertips. He eyed it appreciatively, eyes sparkling as though he had never seen something so shiny and extravagant.

"Hey kid, get away from that car!" Shouted a suited man standing by the side door of the center while holding his phone and texting.

Aki simply shrugged him off as though the man posed no threat to him because such a man would not intimidate the average street kid. Many, if not all, had been exposed too much scarier situations after all so they were rough and tough.

"Hey," said the man coming around the front of the limo toward Aki, "Did you hear me? Stay away from this car. Do you know who it belongs to?"

"Nope," Aki replied, popping the 'p' when he spoke.

"This is Senator Bradford's limousine and you will keep your hands off of it. You are not getting any parts of this limo."

Aki raised his brows and said, "Do I look like I deal in parts?" Then his eyes narrowed and glittered with amusement, "I am more into making plain things look…..beautiful," he stated and pulled out a can of spray paint that he had purchased that morning.

"Don't even think about it kid," said the man harshly.

Then the man's phone rang so he answered it but kept his eyes on Aki watching closely so the kid did not try to make the limo his personal canvas for his artistic work.

"Yes sir?" Pause, "Of course, right away sir. I just have to deal with a punk and then I will." Pause, "Yes sir."

Aki was standing casually with one hand tucked into his pocket on the front of his sweatshirt while he held the spray can in the other.

The man was just about to take a step forward and had opened his mouth to say something when the metal door behind him opened and the senator himself stepped out.

"Well," he said seeing Aki and his right hand man. "Who is your friend Carl?" he asked.

"This _punk_ was about to display his artistic talent all over your limousine, sir," Said Carl.

The senator came closer, staring at Aki. His eyes roamed over the younger man appreciatively making Aki feel like he was being eye fucked by the man in his late 40's. Aki stared back, though his expression screamed, _I don't trust you. _

The senator again met his gaze and said; "I haven't seen you around here before."

"Then you haven't been looking," Aki smarted off but he returned the senator's gaze with his own just slightly flirty one.

The senator's chuckle rang in Aki's ears. It was a rather wicked sort of sound.

The senator was wearing a navy suit with a blue pin stripe shirt and matching tie. He had short blonde hair and although he was much older, the years had been kind to him, however, all Aki could see by looking at him was a dirty pervert. But nevertheless, Aki would have to get this pervert to like him so he had to show just enough interest to entice the older man.

"Do you know who I am?" Bradford asked.

"No, should I?" Aki shrugged as if he didn't care but still looked at the man suggestively.

"I am Senator Bradford. I own this building. I help kids," his voice lowered a fraction, "Just like you." He explained.

Aki simply looked him over and tilted his head to the side as he studied the blond man carefully. He looked ordinary for a senator; his pretty face and finely pressed clothes gave him the all American good guy appearance.

"Really?" Aki said with a rather wide-eyed interested expression.

Then a creepy smile spread across the senator's face, "Why don't you come in and have a look." Bradford motioned toward the door with one hand inviting Aki to come inside his _lair._

Aki shrugged and started forward, all the while glancing at Bradford from the corner of his eye. Subtle little flirts here and there but nothing out right to make the man suspicious, just enough to make him wonder. At the same time, keeping his guard up that the senator would not see his small camera under his sleeve.

They stepped over the threshold into a huge lounge where there were a few occupied couches and chairs sectioned off as a TV/gaming area, further down the room were a couple of tables where a few kids were hanging out playing cards. There were a couple of arcade games along the wall and a pool table. Minus the bar, it was the perfect 'man cave' that most men dreamed about. _Click Click_

The walls had been done in graffiti art that Aki assumed he let some of the kids do themselves. By letting the kids have a say in the interior design, they felt more at home here. As he glanced around, a couple glanced back but no one really paid him any special attention.

"This is where most of the boys hang out. The two men by the doors," Bradford motioned to the two bouncer looking men, "Are here to see that everyone keeps their cool while in here. If they don't…..they leave." _Click Click_

Aki raised his eyebrows, impressed. But the senator was not finished and led Aki to a double doorway that housed the kitchen and some old tables with the stools attached like one would see in a school cafeteria. _Click Click_

As if he could read Aki's mind, he said, "These were donated by the Wellington Academy when they updated a few months back."

Aki nodded and took a moment to look around. There were a couple of boys who looked to be near, if not 18, in the kitchen.

"These boys are making the meal for today. One meal a day in the afternoon for anyone who would like a decent meal," the senator offered.

Aki noted how the senator seemed to glance at him to assess his reaction as if he expected Aki to be impressed, and he kind of was. This place felt safe and comfortable to Aki immediately upon entering the building.

"Toward the back," the senator went on heading back to the lounge, "There are a storage room and two offices."

"Nice thing you got going here." Aki answered as he looked around some more.

Bradford saw the sparkle in the young man's eyes that seemed to shout _could I be a part of this?_

He tilted his head slightly and smiled at Aki, "You are welcome to stay here. It's open from 8am until 9pm every day. Come anytime you like."

Aki gave the senator a confused look at first but then it softened, "Really? It's okay?"

"Sure. That is how all these boys ended up here. One day they just came in and saw a way to just…..get away from the streets for a while. Living on the streets can be tough, I know," he said placing a hand on Aki's shoulder and giving him a somber look, "But this is a sort of…..escape….for those who want it."

"If you need anything," Aki started with a serious expression on his face, "I can do stuff. I can help out if you need me to."

"Is that so?" The senator raised one blond brow.

"Yeah, I mean," Aki rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "I wouldn't want to get all this for nothing."

Bradford chuckled, "Every so often, one like you comes along. It is refreshing that you don't just want to take advantage of what is offered here. Most do."

"Well," Aki looked suggestively at the senator again, "I am not like most people."

"I can see that." He responded with an appreciative look at Aki. "Make yourself at home." He waved his hand around the room.

"Don't mind if I do." Aki stated.

XXXX

On day six of his street life, Aki returned to the center just after they opened and hung out there all day getting to know some of the other boys and playing games with them.

The senator had shown up as well and though he spent a great deal of time in his office, Aki did notice the senator staring at him a few times through out the course of the day. Aki had worn his tank top and low slung jeans but no shirt over the tank. He wanted his physique to be on display for the senator. He also gazed appreciatively at a couple of boys while he knew the senator was watching. Thankfully, the boys weren't or he might have ended up in a fight.

A couple of times that he caught the senator's eye, he blushed and turned away. The senator would then linger a bit before returning to his office.

_At least I got in,_ Aki thought to himself that night while he sat on the bench in a park. He didn't want to stay on the street any longer than he needed to. With that thought in mind, he headed over to the building and checked it out.

At night it was all locked up, at least it should have been but there was a plain, older model Taurus sitting behind the building practically hidden from the road. There was a small window at the back and a light was on but the blind was closed.

Aki wondered who was in there and what they were doing. Tomorrow he would have to check out possible ways to get in there undetected. For all he knew, the senator could be in there with a boy right now and Aki needed to get some photos, the sooner the better. Right now however, he needed sleep since he had quite a walk to the bar he was to meet Takato at the next day after flirting with the senator some more, if the man showed up.


	34. First impressions 34

**Takaba Akihito reflecting…**

_I can't do this, I can't think like this. I have a job to do, a target to watch and yet all I can think about is Asami. If I close my eyes I can feel him, his flexed muscles as he grips me tight. I can smell his sandalwood and cigarettes all around me, burning my nostrils. Those golden eyes penetrate my very soul when he looks at me. What the hell am I doing? I just left. I wonder what he is thinking right now? Is he looking for me? I know that he tries to keep his emotions in check but there were those few times when I felt that he let his guard down, let me in. He never said he loved me but he did show me. So what does that even mean?_

_ He kept me in the dark about Misha from the beginning. He handled it, yes, but still I had a right to know! I believe that was his way of protecting me but I am not a child. I had a right to know. Will he always look at me like a child he has to protect?_

_ Then, to have Misha be right about Asami having other lovers, what the hell was up with that? I thought I meant something to him, he _showed_ me but in the end he still had someone else he shared his bed…..body…..with? How can I believe him, trust him, knowing that?_

_ I gotta get a grip! I can't let Asami cloud my mind while some fucking pervert runs around fulfilling his underage boy fetish. These kids' lives are tough enough without Bradford using them, lying to them, whatever the hell he is doing and all the while looking like the ultimate family man in the public's eye. I have to catch him, I will catch him though the way I think I must go about it makes me want to puke!_

_ I will start with plan A and see what happens before I put myself out there 100 percent as bait. Hopefully I won't have to but I cannot rule that out so I must keep up with my contingency plan._

It's just after noon when Aki arrives at the bar to see Takato sitting at the counter on the stool. He had to walk several blocks to get there, out of the territory of his new home so no one would know he was actually 24 and not the poor street kid he claimed to be.

"Hey dude, how is it going?" Takato asked taking a healthy gulp of the cold beer in his hand.

"Okay," Aki replied, motioning to the bartender for a beer.

"It's dangerous," it was a statement not a question from Takato.

"Yeah, but only if I get caught," Aki grinned widely at his friend and took a healthy gulp from the bottle just placed before him on the counter.

Takato glanced at Aki from the side and shook his head. His fun loving friend was fearless in his work. One of these days, however, something bad _was_ going to happen to him.

"So," Aki said cautiously, "I was wondering if you could meet me here on Saturdays for the next couple of weeks if my assignment takes that long. I don't want to try to meet the detective I am working with just in case someone sees me, you know?"

Takato nodded, "Yeah, sure." Then he paused to take another drink and then softly said, "Kou and I went to the club last night."

Aki squirmed on the stool, suddenly uncomfortable, "And?"

"Well, we got to see the inside of Asami's office thanks to our hands-on escort."

"What did he do!?" Aki's eyes widened with fear.

"Nothing, just asked us questions but since we didn't know anything, he let us go. All Kou could tell him was that you were on a job."

"What did he say to that," Aki asked rather quietly.

"He seemed…..concerned…." Takato replied.

_Yeah right! If Asami cared about me and _did_ love me then he wouldn't be fucking other guys and probably women too. Dammit! Why do I even care, I mean, before him, I would never have thought about being with a…..guy, loving a guy. It's his fault for making me this way, all his fault! Now I can't go back. He has taken me to a place above and beyond anything I ever imagined but if I don't know for sure that he loves me then where does that leave me…..leave us?_

"He also seemed…..angry," Takato offered suddenly snapping Aki back into the present.

"How angry?" He asked hesitantly.

"Well, after we walked out of his office, we heard a crash like something had been thrown. So why didn't you tell him about taking the job?"

Aki shrugged, "I don't know, I guess I didn't think he would care what I did." _Since he has other fuck toys to occupy his time._

"Look Takato, thanks for coming. I need to get back so I will see you on Saturday?"

"Yeah, sure thing."

Aki finished his beer and headed back to the streets.

**Monday afternoon**

Aki spent the afternoon lounging around the boy's center taking in each and every one of the kids in the large room. They were different than Danny and his friends who always wore new clothes and walked the streets with a certain confidence or arrogance, he wasn't sure which? They acted as if they owned the territory unlike these kids in front of him now.

These boys were definitely malnourished and their clothes barely hanging on by a thread. They were dirty and their demeanor reminded Aki of the abused dogs he saw on the TV commercials for the animal shelter. Whereas Danny and his friends excelled in turning the streets into their domain, these boys just looked lost and forgotten. These boys were the ones in the shadows who were not selling drugs to make money or joining a gang for protection. They looked lonely and vulnerable. It tore at Aki's heart to see them.

Maybe eventually, some of them would change, be more like Danny and Loubou, but some would not. Those were the boys who would always be alone, forgotten, and abandoned.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard raised voices from the table where 4 kids were playing cards. He gripped his bag with one hand and watched intently.

As he suspected, there was an argument that was quickly getting out of hand when two of the kids stood up to face off. That was when the bouncers stepped in. Aki had one shot and this was it. As soon as all the eyes in the room focused on the two kids yelling heatedly at one another, Aki slowly made his way toward the back and slipped around the corner. Past the offices and storeroom were steps leading up and he wasted no time taking two steps with each stride.

At the top was an old wooden door, unlocked. Aki slipped in silently and closed it behind him. He could faintly hear the shouting below as his eyes adjusted to the dark, musty attic.

The building had been a gym for a school that had been demolished a couple of years ago. Since the gym was in better condition it remained. As Aki moved around the room, he saw boxes of old gym clothes, obviously uniforms for various sports. There were various sports equipment covered in thick layers of dust, a couple of basketball rims, old deflated volley balls and a net curled up in a heap on the floor, and some old worn out baseball gear.

By the time night fell, the center empty and locked up, Aki had been up in the attic several hours. Unfortunately, he found nothing relating to the senator. It was after midnight when he decided to venture out.

Aki slunk out of the room and down the stairs cautiously but he heard nothing. The place was completely silent. He had hoped the person with the Taurus would have come back but apparently, no one was planning to be here tonight. That gave Aki time to explore. He had already cased the place during his visits to make sure that there were no cameras for security purposes and so far found none.

When he tried the lock of the office door that the senator had frequented, it was locked. He had two choices: break the lock and chance some type of security measure that might be in place or not go in at all. Well, the latter wasn't in Aki's nature, so he went to the kitchen and got some utensils that might help him to pick the lock.

In only a few minutes, he was in. He spent the next hour looking around before settling by Bradford's desk. Obviously entering the room hadn't set off any alarms to alert anyone and for that he was extremely grateful.

Fortunately, he was quite good picking locks because the desk had one on every drawer. It wasn't until he got to the bottom one on the right when he whispered, "Bingo!"

Inside the drawer was a flat small piece of wood that acted as a cover of the contents inside. It was difficult to see with only the light from the few windows outside the office so he was glad to find the flashlight in a junk drawer in the kitchen.

After holding the flashlight in his mouth to project it at the lock, he picked it. He took off the panel of wood and inside was pictures.

As he took them out and got a closer look, he sunk down into the senator's chair. Each one was of a different boy. But worse, the boys were in lewd positions and bare assed naked. One was bent over a bed with his ass in the air and his head turned to the side to clearly show his face. Another was spread-eagle on the same looking bed, which had a dark blue blanket covering it. The boy looked like he was aroused and on the verge of orgasm when the photo was taken. It was the same with all of the photos. There were 14 in all. On the back were names; some only had first names while others had both first and last. Under that were dates, well, months anyway.

_Brandon _

_June-Oct 2011_

_Timothy Reader_

_Oct-Dec 2011_

As quickly as the adrenaline within Aki raged at finding the photos, it plummeted. He knew the laws and nothing in the photos gave any indication that the senator had anything to do with them. It wasn't enough. There simply was no way to tie the senator to them. Aki spread them out on the desk and using his camera, took his own photos of the front and back of each one. When he focused in on one he gasped.

Staring back at him was none other than Kobi. Suddenly, Aki's mind went on overdrive.

_What the hell was Kobi doing in one of these? Did Asami know? Was he somehow involved? Did Asami know the senator and if he did what did that mean? This was definitely bad!_

Aki quickly put everything back together and took a couple more shots of the office before sneaking out of the building entirely. It wasn't until he had walked a couple streets over and into the neighborhood where he first met Danny when his racing heart finally slowed down. He had so many questions that he could not even wrap his head around as he walked along the strip of shops, strip clubs, and bars.

He ducked into an alley and leaned back against the wall wondering, _what is the connection between Asami, Kobi, and the senator?_

Unfortunately, Aki never had luck on his side and tonight was no different. He had been so lost in his thoughts with the new revelations that he never realized he was followed into the alley until he heard the voices.

"Well, if it isn't _Aki _hiding here all alone_._" He heard and turned his head toward the entrance of the alley that was now blocked by Topper and his friends.

_Oh shit! This is not good!_


	35. First Impressions 35

**Sorry about the wait, had to go house hunting and move. Anyway, hope you are still interested. If so, enjoy and please review.**

Aki studied his precarious situation carefully, paying close attention to his position in the alley as compared to the three guys currently standing between him and the only exit. Aki though, knew he had the element of surprise on his side and the flexibility along with his speed that the larger men did not have.

_Dodge them, check. Out run them, check. Make it to the end of the alley where the fence was and climb it fast, check._ Aki knew that if he had his timing just right, he could make a clean get away.

His experience of having to out run thugs when working his criminal jobs had more than prepared him for a moment just like this and for that he was grateful. He had learned tricks to dodging past guys the size of Topper and his friends and watching American basketball had been very educational as well. All that was left was for him to execute his plan.

The three guys would not know what happened until it was too late. They were big but slow. They were smug, thinking that they had Aki cornered but he was immune to their powers of intimidation. It was their arrogance that they had the upper hand that would cost them in the end.

They underestimated Aki as most did before he displayed his mad escape skills, which usually left his assailants standing dumfounded with their mouths hanging open. But this was no time for games. Aki had to get out just in case they were packing, _just in case_, they most certainly were.

They were smiling wickedly as they stood all cocky and straight in front of Aki. Knowing what he would do, Aki didn't look at all afraid of them, just stood there with a grin, a Cheshire Cat grin of course.

"I've been waiting for the moment when you would be alone so we could….._play_," Topper's voice was low, even.

"Yeah," Aki replied and tightened his grip on his backpack, "Well…..then let's play."

In the next second, Aki had darted toward the guy on the right, pivoted, giving the guy his back, and then darted around him. Running at full speed toward the fence that was 100 feet away.

He heard the cursing behind him but didn't slow down to bother to look back, his focus squarely on the chain link fence blocking his exit.

Just as he slammed against it, he heard the gun go off echoing through out the alley. _Shit, they are shooting at me!_ He scurried up the ten-foot tall fence and kept moving so they would have trouble aiming at their target. He swung one leg over and aimed his body at the cardboard boxes piled up to one side of the corner of the building. He jumped.

He landed and rolled in the opposite direction from Topper and his friends, jumped up and sprinted around the corner but not before pausing and looking back, smiling and saluting the angry guys closing in on the fence. Though he would love to see them scale it, he needed to get out of their line of sight so he took off.

He dodged around every corner he came upon to prevent them from seeing him for too long if they did, in fact, pursue him. Finally he came to a little convenient store and ducked inside, 20 minutes after he first made his move. He knew that he had lost them so he took a moment to calm his panting breaths and buy a bottle of water.

Then Aki chuckled to him self as he thought of the Tom and Jerry cartoons. Yes, Topper and his posse were just as stupid as Tom was sometimes. It was no wonder that Aki's favorite character in the show was Jerry.

Satisfied that he had thwarted what could have been a potentially painful situation, _for his ass, _Aki left the convenient store and headed toward the boy's center.

Morning was quickly approaching and Aki was exhausted. He hid behind the center where there were a few wooden pallets leaning up against the wall, tucked himself underneath them and promptly fell asleep. He didn't know how long he had slept for when he woke to the sounds of cars rushing past the center and muffled voices. Apparently, no one saw him, which was good.

He came out of his hiding spot and the sun was high so it had to be late morning. He went around to the front of the center to see that it was open. For the rest of the day, he just hung out watching the kids interact. It broke his heart that there were so many forgotten children out there in the world. Some of whom had no parents or family even looking for them. The ones that did were oblivious to that fact.

Aki felt rather guilty that he had been raised with wealth and parents who loved him. Yeah, so his dad had been an idiot last fall about Pruett but Aki knew that his father loved him. He knew his mother did too before she passed away.

Then again, Aki didn't know these kids' stories. Some of them were undoubtedly trouble and chose to leave what they had behind. Nonetheless, the streets were tough living. With all the Toppers and gangs out there, the choices these kids made to survive were limited.

He left just before the afternoon meal and simply wandered around until he found Danny and Loubou.

"Hey Aki," Danny said when Aki walked up to them sitting on a step of an old abandoned apartment building that had lost most of it's windows. "Haven't seen you in a while."

"Yeah," Aki said rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "I've been around, you know, getting acquainted with my new home."

"Got some good shit here, want some?" Loubou asked, patting his pants pocket where he stashed his weed.

"Nah, I'm good."

"You sure? Poncho could hook you up if you want something else?" Danny offered.

"I'll keep that in mind." Aki said as he sat down with them.

**Tues Night**

After strategically leaving Danny and Loubou before they went with some guys on a convenient store raid, Aki found him self heading to the center. It would be closed by now but he really had nowhere else to go.

He stopped abruptly when he saw the Taurus parked near the side door of the building. That gave Aki yet another idea. He went around to the fire escape and stacked some of the pallets so he could climb up to the ladder. Then he shimmied up the ladder to the broken window that he knew was in the attic.

Ever so carefully, he tapped on it. It had a crack in the top right corner and the lower left so if he could get the large piece in the middle loose, he could remove it. As the lower part started to push in, Aki got a hold of the top so it would not crash to the floor inside or to the ground. He carefully set it aside on the small metal grated platform and took out the two corner pieces.

It was a good thing he wasn't any bigger or he would not have fit through the opening. As it was, he was able to sneak inside. He needed to focus on keeping silent as he moved, which was another talent he had perfected through his work.

He took out his Cannon camera and switched settings. This might be his chance, and if so, he needed to have the camera on the sport setting to take three consecutive shots with one push of the button. He also needed to prepare him self in case he needed to run quickly so he put both straps of his backpack over his shoulders to secure it. Then he slid the door open and silently crept down the stairs.

He held his breath and listened carefully for any sounds. _Bingo!_ He heard the senator's muffled voice and someone else, but they were not talking. The other person was moaning and groaning while the senator spoke.

As he got closer, he realized that they were in the senator's office and the door was ajar. He peeked around the door to see the senator with his back mostly to the door but enough to the side that his profile could be made out. It was the same with the kid who was sprawled out over the senator's desk on his stomach while Bradford rammed him hard.

"Oh yeah….feels good, huh," The senator said through his panting breaths.

"Oh…..Ugh….." was the response from the kid whose expression was a mixture of pain and pleasure.

Aki stepped back from the opening and lifted the camera using his zoom lens. He didn't want to be right at the crack of the opening if they spotted him. A faster get away was imperative. He pushed the button. Click, click, click. Then pushed it again, click, click, click. And once more just to be sure.

His camera was quiet and the flash was off. He quickly rushed back to the stairs and paused, waiting to see if they had heard him, apparently not, because he suddenly heard the kid scream out and Bradford groan.

He quickly made his way back up to the attic and out the fire escape once again. Then he took off to the park a few blocks away.

Once he sat down on a bench, he looked at the photos. _Got you, bastard!_ They were perfect. There was just enough of the senator that the man would not be able to refute them. But would one set of photos be enough? Aki needed to get in touch with the cop as soon as possible and get the photos turned over so he wasn't the one holding the evidence, just in case.

So he really had no choice when he found him self outside the precinct. Of course, he didn't know whom he could trust so he just sat down between a couple of cars in the parking lot across the street and waited….

As if on cue, the day shift was coming to work and amongst the cars being parked and cops filing inside the building, a heavy lidded Aki spotted Sarcone. He stood up and walked a few steps down the sidewalk to make him self visible to the cop who saw him and nodded before walking in the building laughing with a couple of co-workers on the way.

About 20 minutes later, he emerged from the building and nodded for Aki to follow down the sidewalk on his own side of the street. Around a corner was a coffee shop and the cop entered it. Aki waited a few minutes and then did the same. He had insurance in the form of the photos being stored in the camera's memory so he could give Sarcone the card from the camera.

He got in line behind the cop and promptly bumped into him, slipping the card in the cop's suit pocket.

"Hey, watch it kid!" Sarcone growled.

Aki chuckled nervously, "Sorry man."

That was all they said to one another as they bought their coffees and left, going separate directions.

Aki went directly to the center to observe the atmosphere and keep his cover until he heard otherwise from the cop. Bradford was not there but his assistant, Carl was. He was pacing and checking his watch several times during the 15 or so minutes Aki watched him. Then he made his way to the side door.

Aki jumped up and nearly ran to the kitchen. _Keep cool Aki; _he chanted to him self as he entered the kitchen. There were a few boxes in one corner so he picked them up getting a strange look from Andy.

"Just gonna take these out back, you know, clean up a little." Aki offered.

Andy just shrugged and returned his attention to the ingredients on the counter in front of him. Aki stepped out the side door, spotting Carl standing next to a black limo. He walked behind Carl with his head down but saw the exchange of the envelope out of the corner of his eye. What he hadn't expected was to see Carbaletti through the lowered window. Aki's second of hesitation and wide eyes were noted by the Italian mafia man though he said nothing to Carl. He smirked and rolled up his window, motioning for his driver to leave and Carl turned toward his own car parked a few feet away.

Apparently, Aki was so low on the food chain that Carl didn't even pay him any attention as Aki dropped the boxes near the dumpster and headed back inside.

It was another uneventful day since only two fights broke out at the center when Aki decided to leave for the evening. He had made it two blocks and was just going to cross the street when a black van with blocked out windows rushed around the corner and slammed on the brakes right in front of Aki. It happened so fast that he had no time to react as two men in ski masks jumped out of the side door and grabbed him, immediately shoving a rag to his nose and his world went black.


	36. First impressions 36

First, Takaba Akihito's mind started to awaken, then second, his body. _Woah, I am groggy and it feels like a thousand little men are hammering my skull and my throat is sore! What happened? Oh wait…..I was at the center…..and then I left…..black van…..guys in skimasks….._

Takaba, or Aki as he was known on the streets, tried to at least open his eyes in his weakened state with his head pounding fiercely. His eye lids were heavy and at first he thought it was from whatever drug they had used to knock him out but he realized all too quickly that he was blindfolded.

Suddenly panicking, Takaba jerked his tired limbs hearing the clanking sounds simultaneously as he felt the restraints now chafing the skin on his wrists and ankles. _What the…..?_

As if the sore throat and excruciating headache were not enough, Takaba's heart was beating fast and hard, his breathing labored as his fight or flight response took over.

He pieced together the events leading up to that moment, the photos, talking to the cop, and finally being kidnapped. Using the only senses left to him, he listened carefully for any sounds that might tell him something. He also felt the cool air on his skin, his _bare _skin, though he did feel the fabric of his briefs, the only covering he had obviously been allowed.

He imagined being in a room and obviously on a bed that was rather soft. The air could be heard coming through the vents so the place had air conditioning. But he still could not hear any breathing or movement so he must be alone in the room?

_Maybe Bradford somehow knew I took the photos? That cop might have been playing me, or worse, he got caught and ratted me out?_ It didn't really matter a that point what had gotten him into the state he was in now, all that mattered was getting free. _Obstacle number 1: I am bound and blindfolded. Obstacle number 2: I have no idea where I am even if I did get free. Obstacle number 3: I don't know who is behind all of this. _Takaba did not like his odds at all. _Shit, I am so screwed!_

After what seemed like hours, according to his painfully full bladder, Takaba heard the door open and the thud of footsteps though light in pitch. _Whoever is was had on dress shoes?_

Inadvertently, he groaned as he realized that he really was better off when he was alone in the room because that meant he did not have to suffer whatever torture they were about to invoke upon him.

"Takaba Akihito," the low voice echoed through out the room.

Takaba froze, pretending to still be unconscious but underestimated the kidnappers. He desperately tried to control his breathing, make it seem even and natural as if he was asleep.

"You cannot fool us, you are awake."

Takaba still did not respond. He heard the footsteps, two sets coming closer to him, the ominous sound causing little bumps all over his exposed flesh.

"We have been watching you on video so drop the act. We know you are awake. Don't make this any more difficult on yourself than it needs to be."

Two sets of footsteps but only one voice penetrated the room. They didn't retreat and by the sound of the voice, the man was nearly standing over him and not speaking much above a whisper as to shield his voice.

"Fine!" Takaba finally hissed.

"Good. Now then…..lets' talk about Senator Bradford," the man said smugly.

"What about him?" Takaba spat out.

"Those photos you took. Do you realize what happens to nosy little piss-ant journalists who sneak around gathering incriminating evidence on very influential people, people with the power to make you disappear, or maybe end up in the Hudson?"

"Not really, but I am sure you will enlighten me," Takaba said sarcastically.

_Smack_

"Ow, damn it!" Takaba yelled after the smack across his cheek which only served to make his head pound even more, if that were possible.

"I don't like your attitude!" The voice growled.

Takaba once again assessed his situation. The voice seemed further away from him to have been the one to smack him so the other guy must be the muscle doing the dirty work, too stupid to talk, while the voice guy kept his hands clean.

"Well I don't like you! Let me go!" Takaba yelled and yanked on his restraints. They were not metal but a heavy fabric so at least his skin wouldn't become raw for a while yet.

"You will tell me what I want to know or you will be punished. I assume you are helping the police get the goods on the senator so they can take him down. Is that correct?"

"What if it is?" Takaba responded.

"It means you value your life so little that you would risk it in such a manor? What about your family and friends, your _boyfriend?_ Do you think that they do not value your life?"

"My _family_ and _friends_ respect my work! I've been in worse situations. As for my _boyfriend, _well, I don't have one."

"I know all about you, Takaba Akihito, you are sleeping with Asami Ryuichi."

"Asami is a lying, manipulative bastard! He sleeps with a lot of people, so I've been told." Takaba could not hold back the tears as he spoke the words that cut into his heart like a knife.

"Enough!" another voice,_ that voice,_ boomed through out the room at the same time that his blindfold was yanked off and Takaba blinked a few times to focus on the pair of cold amber eyes staring down at him. _Oh shit! No fucking way! _

"What are you talking about?" Asami's smooth baritone voice greeted Takaba by sending a rippling shiver through out his body.

"Oh no, you lying bastard! You can answer _my _questions," Takaba hissed.

Asami waved off Kirishima who immediately left the room and smirked, his voice low and seductive, "Do you really think you are in any position to make demands?"

"Screw you! You played me you fucked up asshole!"

"I did no such thing." Asami stated confidently.

"How…..how did you even find me?" Takaba asked suddenly curious.

"What did you mean by what you said?" Asami asked again, their eyes locked to one another in a stare down.

"You heard me. You…..you lied to me and…..and manipulated me." Takaba stuttered.

When Asami said nothing but simply raised a sculptured brow at him, he continued, "Yeah, that's right. I spoke to Misha and she had a lot to say about you. Then there is that Kobi guy. What about him, huh?"

Asami inhaled a deep breath and casually turned away, walking over to a chair and sitting down. Then he lit a cigarette, taking his time, as he let Takaba stew for a bit.

"Well?" Takaba urged.

The ever so calm, cool, and collected older man in the three-piece suit tilted his head and responded with, "Lets' start with Misha. What did she say?"

"_Oh,_ she told me all kinds of things. She was the one who ordered me shot and _you _knew it! You knew it all along and never told me!"

"Asami shrugged, "I took care of it." He said simply.

"Yeah, I know, I heard." Takaba said. "Then she told me about your _fetish_ which was confirmed when I ran into that Kobi guy at your club."

Asami's eyes narrowed and Takaba was sure that if the older man could make lasers come out to disintegrate him, he would have at that precise moment.

"Well? Just try and deny it, bastard."

Asami crushed out his cigarette, again taking his time. Then he rose slowly and sauntered over to the bed where a mostly naked Takaba lay bound with the most defiant look in his eyes.

Asami leaned in close to Takaba's ear and his sandlewood/cigarette scent filled Takaba's nostrils as if it were a drug and he, the addict. Takaba held his breath.

"I deny nothing." Then he laughed wickedly, "I had thought to ease you into it but you have left me no choice. You. Will. Be. Punished."

**IT's short I know but just wanted to set the scene for the torturous next chapter. Thanks for reading!**


	37. First Impressions 37

_What does that mean, punished? I guess if I am going to be punished I might as well make it worthwhile._ Takaba stared Asami down, the fire burning bright within his eyes. It only served to show that Takaba was still up for a fight.

"Go ahead," Takaba provoked. "But you know I am right. So, you are going to punish me for finding out about Misha and one of your many fuck toys? Figures."

Asami's breath as he spoke made Takaba's ear tingle, "No. I am punishing you for running from me and putting yourself in that kind of danger."

"Huh, as if you care," Takaba hissed.

Asami's strong hand grasped Takaba's chin and he crushed their lips together in a fierce, demanding kiss. Takaba resisted for all of about two seconds before opening his mouth and taking Asami's thrusting tongue. It was always the same with them. As soon as Takaba felt Asami's heat and his touch, he melted into a puddle of goo.

Asami, after receiving the call from Carbaletti, had sent his men to retrieve his kitten. He had been worried about Takaba, not knowing where he was or what he was getting into. The past week had taken its toll on the older man.

Obviously, by what Takaba had said earlier about not having a boyfriend, he still didn't realize that he belonged to Asami. Well that would not last long. The worry and anger had consumed Asami during Takaba's disappearance and unfortunately, brought out his darker side. _You. Are. Mine._ Asami chanted the words over and over in his head as he bruised the younger man's lips with his brutal, breath-taking kiss.

Still holding Takaba's chin, Asami's other hand worked its way down to one already hardened nub. He swallowed Takaba's moan at having his sensitive nipple caught between Asami's finger and thumb, squeezing and flicking it until Takaba couldn't help but squirm on the bed. By then, Asami knew that all thought of fighting had evaporated and Takaba's only thoughts were of each and every touch he gave the younger man.

Suddenly, Asami pulled back and gazed down at his kitten with cold eyes. He moved away and with his back turned, Takaba could not see what he was doing. He came back with a small leather strap and Takaba's eyes widened with fear.

Asami smirked at Takaba's reaction but wasted no time in buckling the cock ring at the younger man's base. He secured it and stood back with a lingering look.

"So adorable," He said, the desire thick in his gravelly voice. Takaba was blushing from his cheeks to his toes, casting a pink glow to the pale flesh.

"Look at the ceiling," Asami demanded. He wanted Takaba to see how erotic he looked tied up, the ring on, and looking so vulnerable at that moment.

Then, he suddenly flipped Takaba over onto his stomach as if he weighed very little. Takaba gasped at the harsh movement that pulled on his restraints but was unable to anything about it. He was trapped.

"What the…..?" Takaba hissed.

But Asami's emotions had taken over, unlike they ever had before and he was beyond thinking clearly. He was determined to mark Takaba, demand his submissiveness, and though unorthodox, show him how much he _did _care.

Sure, the _fuck toys,_ as Takaba called them, liked bondage and rough sex, this was entirely different. Asami's fetish was something he enjoyed in general, but sharing it with Takaba brought it up to a whole new level.

Takaba turned his head to the side and noticed that half the wall was a mirror too. His blush deepened with his embarrassment and mortification of his current position.

"Keep looking in the mirror, Takaba," Asami demanded and left again to retrieve something.

When he came back, he grabbed Takaba's hips and hoisted him up so his fabric-covered ass was up in the air. Asami pushed down on Takaba's shoulders so his cheek was against the sheets with his knees under him.

Asami and Takaba's eyes met in the mirror as Asami removed his suit coat and tossed it over the chair. He rolled his white shirtsleeves up to his elbows before climbing on the bed, molding his body to Takaba's. Then his fingers began their sweet torture of Takaba's nipples, alternating from pinching to light touches. No pattern to his ministrations, which only heightened Takaba's apprehension.

Takaba desperately fought against the tingling of Asami's touch while seeing his own reflection in the mirror. His attempts were futile and his mind was at war with itself. He wanted, needed to feel Asami's warmth and yet, he hated seeing what Asami reduced him to with simple touches. He was sure Asami only saw him as a weak, play toy instead of a man.

Asami's intuitiveness, knowing that Takaba was thinking too much, reached down and fisted the younger man's clearly aroused muscle.

"Ah, no…don't," Takaba panted.

"You were a naughty boy, Takaba," Asami purred and abruptly pulled back, yanking down Takaba's briefs to his knees.

_Smack!_

"Ow!" Takaba yelled out when Asami's hand connected with his now bare backside but Asami was not finished nor was he going to give Takaba any mercy.

_Smack, smack, smack!_

"Ow, shit, that hurts!"

"Did you expect punishment to feel good?" Asami's voice was dripping with amusement.

"I…..ahh!" Takaba yelled as another blow echoed in the room.

Asami moved slightly to retrieve a toy and held it up so Takaba could see it clearly in the mirror, a vibrator. He gulped even as the smirk appeared.

Fortunately for Takaba, Asami lubed it up before nudging the exposed ring of muscle.

"Asami…..no….." Takaba gasped just before Asami pushed the toy all the way in with a grunt.

Takaba squeezed his eyes shut but Asami saw that and while leaving the toy in and turning it on low, again administered punishment.

_Smack, smack, smack!_

But instead of yelling at Asami, this time Takaba moaned. The toy was painful as it stretched him and so was the spanking that stung his ass but seeing his reflection captivated him. His wrists and ankles bound by the black straps, his cock hard and protruding with the tight ring, and just the end of the vibrator still sticking out made him dizzy, hot, and wanton unlike ever before.

With each blow to his backside, the vibrator moved inside of him and Takaba was writhing on the bed in seconds needing more, wanting more and hearing Asami's declaration come out in a gravelly voice, "Beautiful." But just as quickly as the sensations started, Asami pulled out the toy receiving a whimper from his kitten at the sudden emptiness left behind.

"Punishment should not feel good, Akihito," Asami stated and flipped Takaba over once again.

Takaba opened his blurry eyes to see Asami hovered over him with a chain curled in his hands. Before Takaba could even respond, the clamps were secured, biting into his sensitive nipples.

"Ahhh….." He cried.

Asami loosened the straps to allow Takaba's knees to be bent up to his chest, though still restrained by his briefs and pushed the vibrator back in on medium this time.

"Look at yourself!" Asami demanded.

Takaba first focused on the amber eyes full of such heated desire even as the beads of sweat were accumulating on Asami's forehead. He looked over and was in awe at what he saw.

"Watch how you come undone by _me_," Asami demanded.

Then he started moving the vibrator in and out, a slow agonizing torture.

Takaba stared as he panted, "Hah….hah….hah…."

His body burning with need, the release so close yet so far away. _I can't take it! I want to come!_

Asami was on his knees, pulling out the toy almost all the way and then pushing it back in grunting occasionally as he inserted it all….the….way.

Takaba had never seen Asami look so sexy before even still dressed. It was the strained look on his face, his hair falling into his eyes, and the sounds he made that finally broke him.

"Asami! Please, I need….I need…." Takaba begged.

"You need?" Asami asked raising a brow at him through the mirror.

"I need to come!" Takaba screamed.

But Asami was not finished yet so he braced his forearm against Takaba's legs, crushing them to the young man's chest and leaned down to lick the tip of Takaba's weeping cock.

"Mmmm, so delicious," Asami murmured eliciting a growl from his kitten.

Then Asami locked gazes with Takaba in the mirror, "You want me to _fuck_ you Takaba? You want my cock inside you, pounding you into oblivion?"

"Oh God," Takaba cried, the dirty talk arousing him even more if that were possible. He felt like he would explode the moment the ring was taken off. "Please, I…..I'm sorry," he sobbed.

Asami unfastened his pants and pulled them down enough to release his huge cock and grasp it with one hand, rubbing it against the puckering ring of muscle, "This what you want, Akihito?"

"Yes, oh God, yes!"

"Say it!" Asami demanded harshly.

"Put it in, _please_!"

Asami thrust hard and fast with a grunt as his cock was surrounded by Takaba's tight heat. After worrying that something would happen to Takaba and he would never feel the young man wrapped around him again, Asami could not help but lose all control, relentlessly pounding into Takaba faster and harder with each and every thrust while the young man beneath him writhed and arched against his restraints.

"A….Asa…..mi….."Takaba whimpered as he sobbed, unable to form any other coherent words at that point. He felt so full, stretched, as the fire raged inside of him. He couldn't take it! He was seeing white spots even as he tried to continue looking in the mirror.

"You. Are. Mine." Asami said thrusting deep with each word to drive his point home, "Say it!"

"I….I am…..yours," Takaba choked out and the ring was suddenly released.

"AHHH! FUCK!" Takaba screamed as he exploded instantly, his body shaking violently. Asami pulled off the clamps as well which only heightened Takaba's mind-blowing orgasm. While still riding out the waves of the painful, yet pleasurable intense sensations, Takaba felt Asami thrust hard and fast two more times to spill himself into his kitten. Having Takaba tighten around him had been too much. Takaba felt the pulsing of Asami's cock as wave after wave of liquid shot into him and then everything went black.

It was over two hours later that Takaba finally stirred. He quickly realized that Asami had still not explained anything to him. _How does he do that? I was mad at him and he made me forget. _

Asami entered as if right on cue, fully dressed, and saw his pouting kitten lying on the bed with the sheet draped carelessly over his middle and one leg. Apparently, Takaba had not yet realized that the restraints had been taken off because as soon as he did, he would bolt, or try to at least.

Takaba stared, dazed, at Asami for several seconds before shooting up to a sitting position. Immediately, thoughts of escape flooded his mind. Sure, they had had great sex but only after Asami tortured him until he was a complete and utter mess, begging to be fucked, _bastard!_

"Feeling better?" Asami asked amused by Takaba's now angry expression.

"You sadistic bastard! What the hell?"

Asami strolled to the chair, sat, and lit a cigarette, "Come now, Takaba, I _know_ you enjoyed it. Your cum on the sheets is proof of that."

"Wha…..Shut up! Don't…..don't say stuff like that. It's…..it's sick."

Asami chuckled and took another drag off his cigarette as he studied Takaba and knew the precise moment that Takaba had realized he was free, frantically searching the room with his eyes for his clothes.

"You won't find them here." He said getting a glare in return. "That would make running too easy."

"You can't keep me locked up in here!" Takaba hissed.

Asami tilted his head but said nothing as he watched Takaba's mood darken. _What was he thinking?_ But Takaba was not about to tell Asami anything. He had fallen had and fast for Asami, trusted him, and Asami lied to him, kept things from him, and treated him like a six-year-old would a favorite truck, a toy. Asami didn't see that he was a man, that he worked for a living, and that he deserved more respect than Asami gave him. That would require Asami to care about him and he still was not convinced the older man really did. Asami had a way of mind-fucking him that left him confused about his intentions. _What game are you playing?_

Defiance lit his eyes up until they sparkled, "I want to know about Kobi," Takaba said clearly.

"That day, at your club, you dumped him didn't you?"

"Yes." Asami answered.

"How is it you and the senator both know him, both…..had him."

Asami crushed out his cigarette and walked over to the nearby table where a decanter of whiskey and a glass sat. He poured a drink and turned to Takaba, "Kobi was with the senator when I met him. The senator frequented a private club where Dominants would take their submissives. I was hired briefly to guard the senator and went to the club with he and Kobi. The "party" they called it consisted of the subs wearing nothing but a leather thong and half vest while being paraded around by their leashes. Many influential men were members of this club including judges, politicians, and wealthy business men." Asami paused and took a drink.

"Kobi thought he and Bradford had a _relationship, _but Bradford actually gave him to another man that night just for fun. Kobi was so distraught that when I was finished with the two-week job, he begged me to take him with me. So I did."

Takaba could read nothing from Asami's perfected poker face, like how he felt about Kobi so he had to ask, "Did you….._like _him?"

"No, not the way you are thinking and Kobi knew it too."

Looking down at his hands in his lap, Takaba said rather quietly, "What about me?"


	38. First Impressions 38

"What about you?" Asami responded, as usual, by asking a question, without answering.

"You play with me, lie to me, and yet you say I am yours. What does all that mean anyway?" Takaba's expression was one of hurt mixed with anger.

Asami took the last of the tumbler of whiskey, downed it, and set the glass on the table. He slowly walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge, cupping Takaba's chin between his thumb and forefinger.

"It means, Akihito, that I have gotten rid of my other….._fuck toys_, as you so eloquently put it, and I didn't lie to you. I kept certain things from you to protect you."

"But you treat me like a child!"

"Only when you act like one," Asami smirked.

Takaba again lowered his eyes, "Even in bed. I am a man too, you know?"

"No. You are a natural submissive and there is nothing wrong with that _in bed._ As far as you being a man, well, what I see _is_ a young man with a career that he loves and the ambition to strive to be the best with his given talent. I admire that ambition and drive you have for your work, though I do not like that you take such risks with your life. Have I stopped you from doing that?" Asami saw Takaba about to say something but continued on, "No, I saved you when you were in danger but never demanded that you stop what you are doing. Go ahead and do your job, but know this, I will always be near to protect you if the need arises."

Takaba turned tear filled eyes to Asami, "So your saying….."

"That you belong to me, yes…..that I will do everything in my power to protect you, yes…..that you are mine….._yes._"

Asami crushed his lips to Takaba's at the same moment that the tears spilled from the young man's eyes. The kiss was demanding and rough but that was their way.

_But even though your words were touching, you never said I love you,_ Takaba thought while having his mouth plundered by Asami's tongue.

Takaba finally pulled back, "I'm sorry…you know, for just leaving like that."

It was then that he noticed Asami was completely dressed even though it was late in the evening. Whereas Takaba was sore, tired, and a disheveled mess, Asami was 100 percent put together from his shiny shoes to his slicked back hair.

"Are you going somewhere?" Takaba asked, his face scrunched up in confusion.

"Yes. I have a business meeting."

"Now?" Takaba asked incredulously.

"Yes now." Asami smirked and walked out of the room.

"Hey!" Takaba yelled toward the open door, "You can't just leave me here like this! Asami! _Damnit!"_

The room was silent and Takaba didn't know how long he simply sat there on the bed, dazed. There was an en suite bathroom and he at least had the sheet to cover himself with if he got up so he went to shower.

Wrapping a huge fluffy white towel around his waist, Takaba crept out of the room. He was in an apartment. He observed the layout of the place, the woodwork and trim, and the view from the window in the living room.

His conclusion: he was in Asami's building, just not in the penthouse. At the front door, Takaba's hand stopped half an inch from the knob. He had no doubt that there was a guard outside the door and he couldn't very well escape in just a towel. _Damnit! He can't do this to me! I need to find out what is going on with the senator. Oh shit, my camera! Did Asami see it? Did he erase the memory? _

Takaba looked around frantically in every room and every corner of the apartment hoping that his clothes, backpack, and camera would turn up, but in the end, there was nothing.

He was suddenly too exhausted to be angry anymore so he found the well-stocked kitchen and made himself something to eat before returning to the bedroom and quickly passing out.

_You are a natural submissive and there is nothing wrong with that in bed. As far as you being a man, well, what I see is a young man with a career that he loves and the ambition to strive to be the best with his given talent. I admire that ambition and drive you have for your work, though I do not like that you take such risks with your life._

Asami's words plagued his restless sleep until the sun was peeking through the crack in the curtains and he yanked the blanket over his head.

Takaba's own inner demons were rearing their ugly heads. _I love him, I know I do but…..a submissive, the woman, for all intents and purposes, in a relationship with another man? And that man, who only said that I belong to him. _

Takaba's chest tightened in pain. Then the heat began deep inside of him as he thought of Asami's touch. Only Asami provoked that kind of deep intense sexual arousal from his very core. Is that really what he wanted? Even though Asami said he was a man in his eyes, Takaba didn't feel like much of one.

He sat up and the first thing he noticed on the empty chair that Asami had been sitting in was his backpack and his clothes folded on top.

After dressing, Takaba turned on the TV and froze with the remote still in hand. On the news channel was a photo of the senator with the scroll bar below reading _senator caught in lewd act._ Apparently his photos were enough and the cops wasted no time nailing the senator's ass to the wall, _good!_

Then the screen flashed to the federal building where Takaba saw Asami getting out of his BMW with Kobi. The younger man looked nervous but Asami appeared to be unruffled, confident as always. There was no kind of intimacy between them by their body language which relieved Takaba sone. But he was still pissed that Asami was with Kobi. He grabbed his backpack and left.

Takaba texted Kou to let him know the job was over and that he was back home. He had no more than set down his phone when Kou texted back.

BUSY? CAN I COME OVER?-KOU

SURE-TAKABA

An hour later, his doorbell rang. Waiting for Collins to answer it, he continued making a sandwich in the kitchen. Ususally, he could hear Kou talking before he saw him but not today. _That was weird._ When Takaba turned around with a smile, it froze on his face and the plate with the sandwich slid out of his hands to crash on the floor.

"Shit," Takaba muttered, the sound of broken pieces of the plate breaking him out of his trance.

Standing on the opposite side of the counter was Kou with a sheepish expression and a woman next to him.

"Hello, Aki," Stacey said softly.

Takaba Akihito was at a loss for words. Stacey was his only real relationship even though they did not consummate it over the four years they were together. She had left for Europe and had broken his heart. They had intended to wait until she came back, but she didn't. He got a Dear John letter six months after she had gone and it was over. During their four years together, they had had a yo-yo relationship, on again, off again. At that time Takaba had thought it was love.

Two hours and several beers later, Asami found Takaba, Kou, and a woman sitting out on the patio at Haruto's home. They were laughing and talking about old times. No one noticed Asami on the opposite side of the sliding doors taking in the scene.

"Oh Aki," Said Stacey as she came over and sat down right on his lap. Then she put her hands on his face, "I have missed you."

The strong buzz Takaba had going on had to be the reason he placed his hands on her hips as she straddled him, both looking into each other's eyes.

For Takaba, it was like time had stopped and reversed back to a simpler time, a simpler life. His mind chanted over and over; _you don't want her. You want Asami. She is a woman and you need a man._

Pissed at the haunting thoughts, Takaba leaned up and kissed Stacey, hard. Suddenly, his hands were all over her and hers all over him. It was wild and basic carnal desire. Stacey had said she made a mistake letting Aki go and that she still loved him. Takaba, on the other hand, was testing himself.

He had a beautiful, sexy woman on his lap who clearly wanted him and that he cared for. He needed to know for himself if it was just that Asami made him mindless or if it was more.

Stacey and Takaba were lip-locked, touching one another frantically from the spark that had ignited, and Stacey was undulating on top of him. But just as quickly as it had started, that spark blew out for Takaba. He gently grabbed her upper arms and pushed them apart.

"Aki?" She said curiously.

"Ah Stacey, I misse you too. I really did, but….."

"You don't feel the same now," she finished for him.

"I'm sorry," he said watching her face turn sad but then she smiled.

"It's ok. I has been a long time. I knew I should not have expected you to wait for me, to still feel the same."

"I like you and we are friends but…..I am different now." He let her down gently.

She tilted her head, studying him, "Yes, you are. What is it Aki? What changed you?"

"I…..I…..I'm g-glad you came by," he covered what he had originally wanted to say. "Lets' hang out later, you know, like old times."

"Yeah, lets go to the club this weekend," Kou offered with a sympathetic look.

When Stacey had shown up at his house, he knew that Takaba and her had to see one another, that their issues had never been resolved. Now they had and Kou was actually surprised that Takaba had pushed Stacey away. Now his friend knew, without a doubt, that Takaba was in love, with Asami.

Kou glanced behind Takaba and saw Asami standing in the shadows but he didn't let on, just stood and said, "Well, we should go. We've taken up enough of your time today."

They said their goodbyes and Takaba walked them to the door. Asami was no where in sight when they came in from the patio, Kou noticed, but he knew Asami was waiting.

After the door closed, Takaba was suddenly pulled back into strong arms, his back against a solid chest. Immediately, his nerves came alive and his body shook.

"A…..sami," he whispered.

"Did you have fun, Akihito," Asami purred.

"How…..how long have you been here?" He asked, desperately trying to keep his voice from shaking.

"Long enough." Asami stated.

Takaba felt the strong arms loosen and he turned around, looking up into Asami's eyes. They were not cold or angry, just filled with unrelenting desire.

"Did you see….." Takaba started.

"Yes."

"I can explain," Takaba said quickly.

Asami shrugged, "You don't need to. I heard you."

"So," he paused, looking curiously at Asami, "You aren't mad?"

Asami took a deep breath and rested his linked hands together on Takaba's lower back, staring down at him, "You have things to work out that I cannot help you with. So, work them out."

"I…..I think I did," he said softly.

"Good, because your father is gone all weekend and you and I are not leaving your room." Asami said, then picked up a bag that was by the wall on the floor.

He took Takaba by the hand and headed for the stairs when he heard Takaba ask, "What's in the bag?"

Asami tossed him a smirk over his shoulder and said, "You'll know soon enough."

**Ok, as much as I love these two, everyone knows their roller coaster of a relationship (Takaba in danger, Asami rscues him, they have great sex, etc) so I am wrapping things up in the following chapters. Time to move on but this was a fun little story for me. I had no direction when I started it, I was just playing around and I hope that you have had fun with it too. Thanks for reading and reviewing.**


	39. First Impressions 39

**October**

Kou and Takato looked curiously at their friend, Aki, who was as deep in thought as they were. When they had gotten together for drinks, the two friends could tell something was up with Aki because he wasn't his usual bouncy self.

"I just don't know what to think, guys?" Aki stated as he nursed his beer. "Things seemed to be going so well for the past couple of months and now….."

"Why do you think there is a problem?" Takato asked.

"Cause Asami has been acting strange the past couple of weeks. He has been coming home later and sometimes staying at the club all night. Then, when he finally gets home, I am leaving for work. On the days I don't go, he just gets into bed and falls asleep. He doesn't even touch me other than a goodbye kiss anymore."

The two sets of wide eyes stare at Aki and he knew that they now understood what he meant.

"Wow, that is strange," Kou said. "The guy usually can't keep his hands off you."

"I know, right? So what do you think?" Aki asked.

When he saw the pursed lips and raised brows of his friends, he knew that they were thinking the same thing he was, that Asami was cheating.

"It's classic dude. All the signs are there," Kou shrugged. Then he pressed his palm to Aki's back, "I'm sorry dude."

Aki sat at the high table with his beer in hand, staring down into it with the saddest expression his friends had ever seen. That was when Takato, the rational one of the group, had to speak up.

"Look, you don't know anything for sure. Ask him. Maybe he will tell you what is going on?"

Aki raised a brow, "Asami is not a talker. He won't open up to me. He is just not like that."

"Then why haven't you done some investigating on your own?" Takato asked. "I mean, you are not one to sit by through something like this."

Aki chuckled, "Maybe I'm losing my edge."

"Well, then get it back." Takato said.

Takaba woke mid morning to the sound of the shower running. He glanced around to see Asami's suit from yesterday lying over the chair. Being asleep, Takaba had no idea what time Asami had gotten in last night but since Takaba had went to be after one, it had to be late. And to make it worse, he hadn't woken Takaba for sex like he used to. _I miss you,_ Takaba thought as he stared at the bathroom door.

That had been a problem lately. Takaba was having trouble sleeping as his thoughts were on Asami and whatever was going on with the man.

So lost in his thoughts that when he looked up again, Asami was standing before him with a towel wrapped around his waist, low enough for Takaba to see the defined v that disappeared behind the towel. _Damn he's hot!_

"Takaba," Asami said and a shiver ran down the young man's spine at the smooth sound of Asami's voice. "Did you need something?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Do you got a minute…..I need to talk to you." He said suddenly, pulled back to reality.

"A minute is all I have." Asami said abruptly and headed to the walk in closet to get dressed.

"What? Why? Are you leaving?" Takaba chastised himself for the high pitch in his voice that made him sound _girly._

Asami came out buttoning up his light grey shirt already dressed in his suit pants and his suit coat hanging from one arm.

"I have work this morning," Was all he said but he left the door open while finishing his hair in the bathroom. "What is it?"

"Uh, well, what kind of work? Is the club doing ok?" Takaba asked.

"Fine."

"Oh," Takaba said softly. He didn't know how to broach the subject with Asami because the man would respond in one of two ways: He would get angry or he would just shut Takaba out and say nothing.

_I am such a coward,_ Takaba thought before he said, "What time will you be home? You've missed dinner a lot this week. Aren't you tired of heating your food up in the microwave?"

Asami shrugged and came out of the bathroom, "It's to be expected, I've been busy."

Asami shrugged his dark grey suit coat on and stolled over to the bed. He leaned in grabbing Takaba by the chin and pressing a kiss to his lips. Not like their normal, breath taking kiss, just a peck before leaning back and saying, "Don't wait up." Then he turned and walked out the door while a wide-eyed, mouth gaping Takaba looked after him.

_What the hell just happened? Asami said next to nothing and I am as confused as ever. I want to follow him, he should be my target, but he has guys watching me so closely that I can't shake them. _ _Well, I could but it would be difficult._

Sadness enveloped Takaba again as he sat there in the huge bed alone, _naked_ and alone. Unable to stand the deafening silence of the room, he decided he had to get up and get ready for work.

Just after lunch time, Takaba and Clark were standing in the boss's office with the door shut. Both men sat down across from Mr. Pearson's desk awaiting his speech.

"Since you two are my best criminal photographers, I need you to be alert. There is talk going around about some black market deals going on behind closed doors, namely a club called _The Loft._

Takaba swallowed hard at the mention of Asami's place. _What the…..no f-ing way!_ Fortunatley, none of Takaba's co-workers knew of his relationship with Asami so he ha to pretend he wasn't about to freak out.

"Keep your eyes and ears open. The rumors suggest the Italian mafia is involved and they are dangerous, as you both know. So…..let me know if you hear anything from your sources so we can find a way to bring these guys down.

A stunned Takaba numbly walked out of the office. _This can't be. My boss just asked me to target my lover. What the hell is going on, Asami?_

Carbaletti had called Asami to make good on the debt owed to him for finding Takaba this past summer. There was an Irish _entrpenuer _trying to break into the business and Carbaletti had to do two things: Lay low and make some big deals to secure his business in the black market. In order to do that, he enlisted Asami's help. Asami would not work for the Italian but he did make a deal with him for the use of his private rooms at the club.

The Irish guy, Quinlan Murphy, was shaking things up in the underworld and had made quite a mess. Of course, Asami had no problem taking Carbaletti's money in return for the rooms when needed but from what the Italian had said, people were nervous about this newcomer.

Asami found himself in a place he hadn't been in a very long time, out of control. The whole black market business and the few organizations in charge were shaken and that caused apprehention all over New York.

A few weeks ago, a deal had gone terribly wrong while Asami watched on the monitor. A few moments later, Asami found himself standing in the private room with Kirishima and Suoh, his gun smoking hot, and two men dead. Of course, Carbaletti had thanked him for taking action but Asami hadn't killed anyone since he was a kid. Sure, he had shot when defending his clients but never in a criminal way since…..well since his father was alive.

He sat back in his desk chair and lit a cigarette. He had already gone through half a bottle of whiskey but unfortunately, his mind was too clear.

_You are my son, Ryuichi Asami. One day, you will take over my organization and will make it an empire. You have it in you, right here,_ his father pressed a hand to Asami's chest, _to be a powerful force. _

Was he really like that man? After what he had done, he felt like it. Was he really turning into his father? He hated everything that man was about and now he was no better.

"Kirishima," he said through his phone, "Make me an appointment at the Red Lion, tonight."

"Yes sir." Kirishima said but when he hung up, he shook his head thinking, _this was not good!_

He called the members only private BDSM club and made the appointment as ordered. No one else knew what his right hand man did about his boss. When he felt like the world was spinning around him he would turn to the Red Lion. Only Kirishima drove him there and picked him up.

The devoted subordinate had thought that now with Takaba in Asami's life, things would be different but Asami had always had control issues and it had to be bad for him to resort to going to _that_ club.

At ten thirty that night, Kirishima drove up to the building with the single black door to the side and opened Asami's car door.

Asami got out and said, "I'll call you." He didn't hesitate as he walked up to the door and went inside.


	40. First Impressions 40

His plan had worked. Takaba had gone to his favorite camera store in the mall. The guy behind the counter knew him by name when he entered. Asami's men usually waited outside the store for Takaba so he asked Matt, the clerk, to help him out. The three hundred dollars he gave Matt convinced the kid more, though.

Matt allowed Takaba to slip through the door behind the counter to the storage area. All the mall shops had a back entrance with a loading dock for deliveries. Several shops shared the back hallway and garage openings that were spaced out around the mall.

Takaba smiled once he reached the parking lot. By the time Asami's men realized what happened he would be gone. He quickly made his way to the front of the mall and jumped into one of the cabs in the queue.

He had the guy pull up across the street from the club and waited. He had no idea if Asami was inside so he was simply running on instinct. Fortunately, after about ten minutes, Asami came out of the club and Kirishima opened the door for him. Then the man got in the driver's seat and pulled out.

"Follow that BMW, but be discreet." Takaba asked the cab driver.

There was really no need to worry about them being caught tailing the BMW because of the number of cabs on the street. His, was just one of the many so Kirishima wouldn't pay it much attention.

When they pulled around the corner, Takaba instructed the cab driver to stop. Half way down the block, the BMW was parked and Asami got out. Takaba watched him say something to Kirishima and then enter the building.

After the BMW pulled away down the road, Takaba got out of the cab and told the man to wait. He made his way to the black door and read the cursive red lettering, _The Red Lion._

Takaba gasped, stunned as the letters went out of focus. He had never been there but he had heard of it, oh yeah, he had definitely heard of it.

The first emotion to hit Takaba was the horrific pain in his chest. His lover was in a sex club! He didn't have to think too long about that one because there was only one reason to go there, _sex._

He pushed the pain aside allowing his anger to take over. Here he was standing outside a BDSM club while his lover was inside doing who-knows-what with someone else.

_You perverted bastard! How could I have been such and idiot to think we actually had something special, damnit!_

Takaba practically stomped back to the cab and growled the address to the penthouse at the driver. As soon as they pulled up, the cab door was open by the two guards who were on Takaba detail and they looked _very _unhappy with him. Well…..screw them, he didn't care at the moment.

He smiled a huge fake grin at the men and said, "Hey guys," as he past them and into the building.

The silence in the elevator only made him feel lonelier as the bell dinged at each floor. At the top, he didn't wait for the men who were probably on their way up to stand outside the door, he went inside and slammed the door shut.

At least Asami had stocked some beer for Takaba in the fridge because he knew Takaba didn't like his whiskey. He sat on the couch for an hour drinking and staring at the black screen of the TV, his mind racing with all sorts of questions.

_Why, why would Asami go there? Am I not enough for him? Was Kobi right when he had said that all those months ago? Had Asami been lying to him this whole time? Just when I think he is sincere, he does something to ruin the trust I have in him, makes me question his feelings for me._

Suddenly, the words of his boss came to mind. Something was happening at the club and Asami was involved. Black market deals, big time mafia, and Asami were not subjects that should be used in the same sentence. Takaba was too pissed off to care about the consequences when he got up off the couch, set his beer on the coffee table, _without a coaster_ knowing it would make Asami angry, and went to the door of Asami's home office.

He tried the handle; of_ course it's locked._ In the spare room he was accumulating all of his belongings, Takaba found his lock picking tools and went to work. He held his breath as he opened the door waiting for some ear piercing alarm to go off but none did, thankfully.

The quiet stillness in the room was eerie. It smelled like sandalwood and cigarettes, Asami's scent. The plush dark brown leather couch was off to one side with a heavy thick wood coffee table separating it from two leather chairs. There were rows of books on the huge floor to ceiling walnut bookcase on one wall. Behind the thick wooden desk was a huge window overlooking the city. Off to the other side was a large cabinet that had a couple of tumblers sitting on top with a whiskey bottle. Inside the climate controlled cabinet were bottles of wine. Not that Asami needed all of that in his office since no one ever came in it but him, Takaba shrugged.

The desk was nearly empty. Only one file lay on the top. With shaky hands, Takaba leaned over and opened the file. Inside was everything and anything on Quinlan Murphy, the new Irish gangster who was stirring the pot in the underworld. Takaba flipped through the pages of the man's financials, which only Kirishima could decode, and his recent whereabouts that had been tracked.

Takaba put the papers back in the folder and checked the drawers but they were too, locked. Although he was confident in his cat burglar skills, he hesitated and decided against trying to open them. He slipped back out of the office, locking it up again, and tried to make sense of what he saw.

It wasn't hard to figure out that his boss had been right, something was definitely going on, but how did the Irish guy fit into the deals being made at the club? Takaba knew the only answer to that was to keep his eyes and ears open like his boss had said and to start poking his nose around.

As he stared at the bed he was about to get into, he thought to himself, _you are my new target, Asami._

The guy trussed up against the wall with his arms and ankles bound was a pure masochist. _Just what the doctor ordered._ Asami felt like a God, beating the man in front of him with the belt, the cane, and the whip.

"You come when _I_ give you permission," Asami growled and he heard the man moan around the gag in his mouth. Asami had put the cock ring on tight and beat the man until he was moaning and his body shaking uncontrollably. _That's right, _Asami thought to himself, _I am in charge!_

After a good beating, Asami uncuffed the younger man and moved him over to a bench, bending him over so his ass was in the air and cuffed him to it.

Then the corners of his lips turned up slightly as he thought, _time for some toys._

Although he hadn't been to the club in a long time, since he had Kobi and a few nameless others that he beat in private, the atmosphere in the dungeon room always took his breath away and made him feel powerful.

With Kobi and the others, Asami would fuck them during their sessions but all that ended with Takaba. But now being back in the scene, Asami had thought that he would be his usual self. Unfortunately, thoughts of Takaba flickered through his mind and although he beat and used countless other toys on the young man before him, he had no intention of fucking him. In the end, Asami would allow the man to get off but not through penetration, the beating and toys would be enough.

Asami stood tall with his jacket off, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and otherwise fully dressed. Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead from using the toys on the man, grunting as he pounded the guy relentlessly with the vibrator.

He had released the cuffs allowing the man to stand up and demanded in a low even voice, "Get down on your knees."

The man kneeled, without hesitation, in front of Asami. He liked this position so he could look down on the man; only _he_ was the God in his euphoric fantasy.

He tugged off the gag and opened his pants; holding his thick erect length in his hand, "Open your mouth."

When the man did as ordered, Asami grabbed his dark blond hair tight in his fists and fucked the young man's mouth viciously. He reveled in the sound of the gagging and coughing from his little sub as he pushed in all the way until his balls were smacking against the little sub's chin.

When his climax neared, Asami pushed in, holding his sub's head against him, exploding into the back of the young man's throat.

"Take it! Take all of it!" Asami demanded through his gritted teeth.

As Asami slid into the back seat of the BMW waiting for him, he noticed Kirishima's eyes on him through the rear view mirror.

Asami had been feeling on top of the world when he got into the car but the disgusted look in Kirishima's eyes quickly dampened his mood.

"Something you want to say?" He asked.

"No boss," Kirishima said and turned his gaze to the road.

Asami knew what he was thinking however, since the two had been together for so long. Takaba would be angry if he knew what Asami had just done and would go running for the hills. Thinking of Takaba made his chest suddenly hurt. The only justification he had was that he didn't actually fuck the guy so it wasn't like he had cheated. Then why did he suddenly feel so guilty?


	41. First Impressions 41

The elevator ride with Kirishima was awkwardly silent because Asami knew what Kirishima was thinking since he was thinking the same thing; he betrayed Takaba. Was his need for control that intense that he felt no other options were available, well…..yes. Beating the sub and getting off at the club had relaxed him somewhat but it was not nearly as satisfying as it should have been because he wasn't with Takaba. But Takaba would _never_ have let him go that far.

The silence continued as Asami made his way into the dark penthouse. After toeing off his shoes, he stopped at his office and unlocked the door so he could leave his briefcase in there. He casually glanced at the file on his desk and immediately noticed that a couple of the papers were sticking out. Since Asami was meticulous, he knew that he had stacked them inside perfectly straight. He stood there for a moment before quickly leaving and locking the office.

He took a deep breath as dread filled him before slowly opening the door to the spare bedroom that now had been taken over by one messy photographer. Asami shook his head, _didn't the boy know what a hanger was? _The room looked as though a clothing store had exploded. On the unused bed, Takaba's backpack was lying there with his lock picking tools right on top.

_What are you up to Takaba?_ On the one hand, Asami wanted to protect Takaba from the dangerous world, but on the other, he wanted to beat him for going behind his back, looking for what, evidence?

_Did Takaba know more than he was letting on?_ They hadn't really talked lately so Asami wasn't sure of Takaba's motive but it didn't matter. Takaba was snooping around and Asami didn't like it. Ever since he agreed to help Carbaletti, he had been slowly getting paranoid about everything. He had to watch his back or he would be stabbed before he knew what had happened.

Takaba inhaled deeply in his sleep, the strong smell of Asami's cigarette flicking some switch in his mind causing him to stir. The first thing Takaba noticed was that the sky was still dark; it was not yet morning. The second thing was the silhouette of the familiar tall, strong body sitting in the chair off to the side of the end of the bed.

Groggy from sleep, Takaba slowly sat up in the bed and tried to focus on Asami with only the light from the Tokyo skyline to aid him. Whereas Asami always closed the curtains at night, Takaba liked them open. The city lights drowned out the stars and moon for the most part but he liked the tranquility of looking at the night sky if he woke.

As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, they took in every detail of his lover; still dressed in his suit pants but his coat was off and his sleeves of his fine designer shirt rolled up to his elbows, his tie still on but pulled loose around his thick neck, but it was the eyes, the piercing cold amber eyes that brought out a gasp in Takaba.

Asami had been staring at his sleeping kitten for the past hour while he smoked, continued to drink his whiskey, and contemplate what Takaba had been up to. His guilt over his infidelity was replaced by the anger of betrayal. Kirishima would have pushed his glasses up his nose and said they were now even, but Asami willed himself to disagree.

Asami was not the type of person to associate sex with love but he did know the _other_ type that did, he was staring right at him.

"Asami," Takaba said quietly, "Are…..are you coming to bed?" he asked nervously.

Takaba had been so completely crushed by Asami's whereabouts that night that he knew targeting the older man was just as much for revenge, to _hurt_ Asami, as it was his job. He also knew that he had to pretend everything was okay with them in order to get closer and find out more information. Unfortunately, he was oblivious to the fact that his emotions were displayed like a bright neon sign on his face and in his eyes.

Though he sounded timid and sleepy, his eyes were gleaming with fire, defiance, and that gave Asami his answer he didn't want to face; Takaba was targeting him!

After a long slow drag of his cigarette, Asami said, "I am not tired."

"Are you kidding me?" Takaba's voice rose in pitch, "You never sleep anymore."

"I have been busy," Asami's voice was low and calm, too calm.

"Yeah…..I know," Takaba said with irritation.

"Do you now?" Asami raised one waxed brow at him as he crushed out his cigarette and put the tumbler to his lips.

"Yeah, well, I mean, you haven't been around much lately so I assumed it was busy at the club."

Asami smirked, _you could come up with a better excuse than that can't you, Takaba, _he thought to himself? He wanted to lunge out of the chair and shake the truth from the young man but he had his control back and did nothing other than say, "Go back to sleep. I have work to do." Then Asami got up and left the bedroom. He wanted to hurt Takaba but not kill him and he knew that if he touched the young man in his current state of rage, he would kill him. No, it was better to find out what Takaba was doing first, then take action: _punish Takaba._

"Hey! Come back here!" Takaba yelled. He had been so lonely without Asami and when the bastard finally _is_ home, he can't spend some time with Takaba.

Takaba jumped out of bed and grabbed the first thing within reach, one of Asami's dress shirts on a hanger on the dresser drawer knob.

He buttoned it up as he stormed out of the room in search of the man who use to be his lover but hadn't touched him in weeks.

Asami was still holding his tumbler, though it was filled up again, as he sat on the couch with some papers in his hand. Takaba didn't stop until he was standing right in front of the older man who had to glance around his papers to see the steam coming out of his kitten's ears.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Takaba hissed. He was so angry that he wasn't thinking, just reacting at that point. "If you don't have time for me then maybe I should just leave."

"Suit yourself." Asami said calmly.

Takaba's mouth gaped open at the fact that Asami appeared so indifferent to him, as if he didn't care one way or the other.

"Fine! I'll leave!" Takaba hissed and stormed off to his room, grabbing clothes at random and shoving them into his backpack.

He was so angry and mumbling something about 'not giving a shit what Asami thinks' that he didn't realize how terribly adorable he looked to Asami who stood in the doorway leaning against the side, arms crossed over his chest.

The young man had not even realized yet that he was running around the room in nothing but Asami's oversized shirt that hung to his thighs. To Asami, Takaba was even sexier when he was all fired up about something.

Asami had two things to accomplish: find out why Takaba was snooping and release the rapidly building tension inside from his bumbled emotions of betrayal, guilt, love, and anger.

"Takaba," he said casually but was interrupted.

"Don't _Takaba_ me, bastard. You don't get that right anymore. Why don't you just go back to the Red Lion, huh? You would rather be there than with me anyway."

"What," Asami said slowly, dragging out the word. The last thing he expected was for Takaba to mention _that_ place.

Takaba froze mid movement putting a shirt in his backpack when he heard the tone of Asami's voice and a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as he slowly turned his gaze up to meet the glacial stare.

"Heh, heh, nothing," Takaba chuckled nervously, while visibly wincing at the menacing look he was being given.

Asami snapped. The raging volcano smoldering inside the older man erupted with a fierce BOOM. He grabbed Takaba by the wrist and strode out of the bedroom. Takaba couldn't keep up with Asami's pace and stumbled a couple of times, as he was lead to Asami's bedroom.

"Get dressed!" Asami demanded and Takaba was too afraid to argue with the sudden hostility shown by Asami. The man was furious and it scared Takaba.

Asami made a call while Takaba dressed, but he no more than fastened his pants after pulling on a t-shirt when Asami drug him from the room to the door where their shoes were. Then he shoved Takaba into the elevator not saying a word to the younger man but keeping a secure hold of Takaba's arms and standing up against his back. As soon as they reached the car, Kirishima was waiting for them.

"Asami, where are we going?" Takaba asked.

Asami waited until the car was moving at a good steady pace before slapping cuffs on Takaba's wrists so fast that Takaba could only stare in confusion. With his hands cuffed in front of him, Asami proceeded to blindfold him as well.

_Oh shit! I really pissed him off this time. Where is he taking me? What is he gonna do with me?_

After a while the car stopped and Asami got out, helping the blindfolded Takaba out of the car and immediately throwing the young man over his shoulder as if he weighed nothing.

Takaba tried to focus his attention on the sounds around him. He could hear cars whooshing by and low voices though they were speaking low to prevent him from hearing what they were saying.

Kirishima paid the man for the special request and clenched his teeth together to keep from yelling at his boss about how wrong this idea was. Instead, he stood quietly by the car and waited.

Takaba knew that they were inside somewhere but _where? _Asami's shoes clicked as he walked and Takaba heard a door open and close. That was seconds before he was tossed quite harshly onto a bed.

Asami tore off the blindfold and stood looking down on the scared young man whose eyes nearly popped right out of his head.

Takaba gulped loudly as he took in his surroundings. It looked like they had went back in time to the medieval days when castles had rough, stone dungeons because that was precisely where he was; in a dungeon, at least it looked exactly like one.

The chains hanging from the ceiling and walls were very intimidating but so was the strange shaped wood and padded furniture. On the walls hung all sorts of various canes, whips, paddles, floggers, and riding crops. The bed had blood red sheets on it and the lights were fake torches lining the walls.

Sure he and Asami played a bit with restraints, a cock ring, ropes, and once a dildo but Takaba could sense by the deadly expression on Asami's face that this was way more than just a little playtime.

Asami crept forward slowly; chin down, focused solely on his shaking prey.

"A…..Asa…..mi….please, _nooooooo!"_


	42. First Impressions 42

Asami yanked Takaba up by his cuffed wrists and pulled him over to the middle of the room, quickly attaching the wrist cuffs to a chain hanging from the ceiling. As Takaba struggled, Asami first grabbed one ankle and secured it to a cuff attached to a chain in the floor, then the second, causing Takaba's legs to be spread two feet apart.

"What the…..let me go!" Takaba yelled. "Wha…..What are you going to do?"

Asami stood in front of Takaba taking in the fearful expression, eyes wide, and muscles tense.

"Speak again without permission and I will gag you." Asami said calmly while their eyes held, locked to one another. The cold look Asami gave Takaba sent a shiver through his body. In the past his eyes were intense yet warm, this time however, they were anything but.

"Permission? Oh hell, no way!"

Asami left him striding across the room and coming back with something in his hand.

"Open your mouth." Asami demanded.

But Takaba clenched his teeth and pursed his lips together in defiance and shook his head.

Asami grabbed Takaba's chin in his hand, his grip strong enough to leave bruises and swooped down capturing his lips. He pressed his body close to Takaba's giving him that warmth and security that he only felt with Asami. In less than five seconds, Takaba's mouth was open, inviting the onslaught of Asami's tongue.

Takaba could taste the faint traces of whiskey and cigarettes on Asami's tongue and his lips. God, he had missed the feel of Asami's strong sculpted body against his for weeks now. It felt too good having Asami ravage his mouth after such a long absence. He relaxed into the kiss, as his mind got fuzzy.

Just then, Asami pulled back, breaking contact, and shoved the ball part of the gag into Takaba's mouth before the younger man had a chance to regain his senses.

Takaba immediately shook his head and tried to speak, only letting out mumbling sounds. Asami was too fast and too strong for Takaba to dislodge the gag before Asami secured it behind his head. Takaba panicked and pulled at the restraints but they held tight. He was trapped.

Asami came back around in front of him and tilted his head, a curious expression on his face. He was thinking something but didn't voice it to Takaba. Those golden eyes growing more intense yet still cold and what…..angry?

Asami unfastened the younger man's jeans, pulling them along with his underwear, down below his knees, ignoring the muffled protests from the young man bound and exposed in the center of the room.

Takaba could not crank his head around enough to see where Asami had gone but he could hear Asami's footsteps behind him walking away. They stopped, then started again as Asami came back. Takaba could not see him but could feel his close proximity.

When Asami's smooth voice came to him, Takaba froze and listened.

"We will accomplish two things tonight Takaba," he said. "First, you will experience first hand, what I do here. Second, you will be punished for snooping around my office."

Hearing that last part, Takaba tried to voice his denial and shook his head again but Asami was buying none of it. He leaned in, his mouth right next to Takaba's ear when he spoke again.

"I know it was you. No one else has access and you left your tools out on the bed."

Takaba sucked in a breath but his lack of further protests was enough to prove his guilt.

The room fell silent, only the young man's quick breaths could be heard but he could only hear the rapid pounding of his heartbeat.

Over and over in his mind, Takaba thought, _we've played before. He won't hurt me. He has never hurt me. _But even as he consoled himself with the words, he wasn't sure he believed them after the way Asami had looked at him.

Suddenly, a stinging pain shot through his ass and he yelped from the pain. Whatever Asami had hit him with stung his bare flesh.

Asami watched in fascination as the rubber end of the riding crop left a perfectly red welt on Takaba's pale skin. Asami let go and hit Takaba again…..and again…..and again. He didn't use a pattern just random hits to each side of Takaba's ass, the curve underneath, and his inner thighs.

Asami held nothing back as he swung the crop, bringing it down hard on Takaba's pale skin. Angry red welts were left in the crop's wake and by the sixth hit, Takaba was sobbing, his muffled sounds making his throat dry and hoarse. His hands were fisted around the chain and his knuckles white as he tried to maintain leverage. The hits were so hard that his whole body arched forward with each blow.

Four more in quick succession had Takaba writhing in pain. This was not the kind of play they usually had where Asami spanked him and gave him some pain that quickly turned to pleasure with Asami's soft touches in between the blows. No, this was pure cruelty, raw pain giving Takaba no reprieve and certainly no pleasure.

Asami wrestled with his own emotions, unbeknownst to the younger man. His adrenaline spiked when he came in this room, the rush was invigorating. But beating his masochistic subs took him beyond that rush to a state to euphoria. He felt like a God, in control of the scene, only _he_ had the power.

But oddly enough, the rush was not heightening. The craving was there but not satisfying. That was why the last four hits were given with everything he had and yet…..nothing happened. It was like a drug addict smoking a dud batch of dope, his high just out of his reach.

Frustrated and feeling his sense of control slipping, he decided to up the ante. He dropped the crop and changed tactics.

Takaba was hanging by his arms but his knees had given out on him and his head hung down as the sobs turned to whimpers. He was already exhausted from the beating he just endured and cried so hard that he didn't think he had any tears left. Though he had tried to hold them back, to stay strong, the fight was not there as it had been in other situations. That was because he could not keep up his guard with Asami.

That physical pain was something he could endure, but with Asami, there was emotional pain there too. Not only was his flesh on fire but his heart was shattering into a million pieces at the thought of Asami caring so little about him to hurt him like this.

"Unh….."Takaba tried to get Asami's attention but again all he heard were footsteps.

In a flash, Takaba's t-shirt was slit from the back of his neck to the hem, splaying his bare back to Asami. The older man was quickly losing his patience with himself. He held the thick braided leather tightly and flicked his wrist. _This will work, _he thought, _this will send me over the edge, an edge that Asami wanted desperately to jump off of. It has to work._ He could think of no other way to get himself under control. His true sadistic nature came crashing to the forefront when the whip whooshed through the air and slashed the pale skin o Takaba's back.

Suddenly, as if hit by a speeding semi truck, Asami froze. The piercing scream echoed through out the room. It was not only loud; it was everything Takaba had left within him before he went completely limp.

Asami watched in in horror as the little beads of blood rose to the surface of the lash mark that crossed Takaba's back from the right shoulder to the left flank, just above his ass.

_What the fuck am I doing! _Asami was beside himself with anger, frustration, and guilt. _It didn't work. _But instantly, Asami knew why. Takaba was not just some sub that liked to be beat; he was light, Asami's light, and the light he was beating out just as someone would snuff out a candle. There was no euphoria, no sense of satisfaction in causing his young lover pain of this magnitude. He really _was _a monster, his father's son!

Asami's shaking hand released the whip and he was behind Takaba in two big strides. He knelt, and starting at the lower end, licked the partially flayed skin all the way to the shoulder.

Then he buried his head in the crook of Takaba's neck whispering, "I'm sorry," so softly that Takaba wasn't sure he really heard it.

His body was in so much pain and his mind threatening to shut down into the darkness that he barely felt the warmth of the hands wrapped around his torso.

_This isn't right! I can't hurt him, _Asami thought to himself. _I don't want to hurt him._ More confused than ever before at his behavior, Asami simply held Takaba for several minutes, hearing nothing but their breathing in sync with one another.

Then Asami pulled away and quickly released the chains and cuffs on Takaba's bound wrists and ankles. The young man almost dropped to the floor if Asami hadn't grasped him around the waist to hold him up.

He scooped Takaba up into his arms and laid him gently on the bed. No sound came from the young man though his eyes were open. Asami noted the blank look on Takaba's face as he took off the ball gag and tossed it aside.

He went to the bathroom and came back to the unmoving body lying on his side. He cleaned the whip lash and applied cream to it, then proceeded to apply soothing cream to all the welts he had given his young lover. Once done, he went to put the items back.

When he returned to the bed, Takaba had pulled up his pants and discarded the torn shirt altogether. Asami stood tall, looking down at Takaba. Though is mind was reeling from the cruel way he had abused the young man, he wouldn't show it, he would not show Takaba just how helpless and weak he felt in that moment, so much more helpless than when Takaba was in the hospital after the Pruett incident or the shooting.

"Akihito," he said softly, wanting Takaba to look at him instead of hanging his head down.

Slowly, the dark haired head turned up and Asami's chest suddenly constricted. Takaba looked up at him with a tear streaked face, the light still there, but dim.

The next words Takaba spoke were like a knife piercing Asami's heart, not just the low controlled tone, but the look, _that _look scared the shit out of him.

"Let. Me. Go."

Asami swallowed past the lump in his throat. He was standing there in his suit, minus the jacket, with his shirtsleeves rolled up to his elbows with seat beading his brow. Those words suddenly held a double meaning, one he could not refute or deny. He had crossed the line and deserved the consequences.

Asami walked to the door and pulled out the key. He unlocked it and stood back. He watched Takaba wince as he got off the bed and walked to the door but before he could turn the knob, Asami came up to him and pressed his hand against the door.

Takaba didn't turn to look at Asami so he simply kissed Takaba lightly, just under his ear and inhaled the young man's scent one last time.

Takaba flinched at the contact of Asami's soft lips to his skin but it was brief and then gone. Without another word, Takaba steeled himself and flung open the door just as Asami moved his hand.

Asami turned to face the room, unable to watch Takaba walk away, knowing that this was the only way to keep from hurting him.

When Takaba came out of the Red Lion, Kirishima was standing by the car with a sympathetic look on his face. Takaba just shook his head and started walking toward the corner to hail a cab.

_Just like that, it's over. Don't look back, don't look back, _Takaba chanted to himself as he slowly put one foot in front of the other. Each step taking him further away from the man he had given his heart to and the same man who had crushed it.


	43. First Impressions 43

**Thanks for the feedback, I really read and think about every review I receive to better my writing and to sometimes give you what you don't expect. This is it for Frist Impressions but once uploaded, I will let you know about the sequel here so you will receive a notice if you are following. I am going to get a few chapters done first so give me a few weeks to get it going. Let me know if you think this sounds like something you want to read. Thanks again for your continued support and feedback. I would have no reason to write if you were not out there to read my work. Love to all…..**

**May 5: Takaba Akihito's POV**

The incessant ringing of the loud and very annoying alarm clock application on my phone had me scrambling to reach it on the nightstand to turn the blaring thing off. There was one thing I loathed above all else, mornings. Having to wake up and get out of bed when I was comfortable and cozy is the worst. What I want to do is pull the covers over my head and sleep for another couple of hours but if I did that, my bladder would explode and I would be late for work. So I force my eyelids to open and adjust my eyes to the light shining in the window of my hotel room.

I get out of bed, trip on my shoe, and fall flat on my face. Lying here on the floor I have to wonder if this is any indication of what my day is going to be like, _Really?_ Resolved to my fate, I get up and sprint to the bathroom, practically moaning at the relief I feel as I empty my bladder. Then I brush my teeth and head back into the bedroom to get dressed for work.

I am leery of meeting with my colleagues today because over the past couple of days they have been whispering to each other _a lot._ They all know my birthday is today so I need to be prepared for anything.

After slipping on my board shorts and a tank top, I pause to look out my window at the gulf. It is breathtaking. But its not just the gulf, it's everything about this paradise. Of course I know my colleagues were not as impressed with the hotel that I chose but I thought it was cool. Using the travel magazine's money, we could have been put up in a more expensive hotel closer to the thriving part of this amazing city but I chose this one and, hey, I am in charge so they can kiss my peachy round ass.

Dubai, one of the seven United Arab Emirates, has everything to offer and even though we are clear out on the palm staying at the Atlantis hotel, a taxi or the metro can take us anywhere we want to go. The hotel itself has a cool adventure park, pool, restaurants, shopping, and nightclubs that we are taking advantage of but I know they all want to explore the city too. Together, we compiled a list of places to go: Irish Village, Barasti's, and Rock Bottom (for karaoke). That is, aside from the malls that our one lone woman wants to go to.

We took a safari into the desert last night which was awesome and scary when the drivers take their Toyota Land Cruisers over the huge dunes and we felt like we were free falling, but the food was great, the show with the dancers was great too, and I even tried a Shisha pipe. Yeah, that was a one-time thing I decided after coughing up a lung. Taj, having lived here for a number of years, insisted that we all try it; mint flavor is his favorite, _bleh_. There are quite a few people that don't normally smoke but like the shisha, well, they can have it, not me, _never_ again.

I grab my backpack and head down to the buffet restaurant to meet the crew. Taj and Amy are already there, sitting outside, _in this heat? Really?_ Taj smokes and likes to sit outside so he can indulge, _whatever._ Cody brings up the rear, following me into the restaurant and out to our table.

"So today is the shoot at the marina, the promenade." I remind them. "But tomorrow, Amy, you get your wish since we are doing the mall shoot, both Mall of the Emirates and Dubai mall."

"Yeah," she squeals in delight.

The three of us guys simply stare at her like she has suddenly sprouted three heads. Why girls find malls so fascinating is beyond us. Women are an enigma that we will never understand.

"What about tonight?" Cody pipes up glancing around the table.

"I think it's only fitting that we go do some karaoke tonight," Taj says and puts his hand on my shoulder, "In honor of Aki's birthday.

"Ugh," I groan.

Since leaving in December, we have travelled all over, starting in the U.S., then Europe, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, and here. Why I ever got up on that first stage and sang in front of them is a question I can't answer. _Well_…..the enormous amount of alcohol I drank that night might have had something to do with it.

I rub the back of my neck nervously, "We can do anything. It doesn't have to be karaoke," I explain but I can see the sparkle in their eyes; they want me to sing.

As I eat my yogurt and granola, Cody eyes me suspiciously.

"What?" I shrug.

He shakes his head, "Man, that is not breakfast. That is what women eat when they are dieting."

"Hey, I like it," I argue.

I can tell by his expression and the glance to Amy what they are thinking but won't say out loud. They think I'm, you know, into guys. _Not guys, plural, just one. Stop Aki, stop right there!_

They haven't asked me outright but it is obvious that they _want_ to. Let them wonder, I shrug to myself. Unlike Cody who finds a woman in every city we go to, I prefer to focus on work. At least that is my excuse. Fortunately, Taj is married and Amy is too so Cody is constantly badgering me to go with him on _the prowl._ I admit that I do like the occasional Boy's Love Magazine but I like to look at women too. Well, being bi _is_ more socially accepted than being, you know….._enough Aki!_

"So," I say standing up and grabbing my backpack, "Rock Bottom tonight then," I make the decision and we head out to the shoot.

It is so hot that we finish early, by 3pm, and head back to the hotel before meeting up for dinner. The shoot went well. We got some great shots of the marina for the magazine spread. I haven't felt this good about my career as a photographer since…..well….._don't think about it, just don't think about it._

Too late! I remember sitting on the couch and watching the media have a field day grinding Senator Bradford into mulch after my photos of him having sex with an underage boy were revealed. The 'family man with good Christian values' went down in flames. That felt good! Okay, if I don't stop reminiscing, I will start to think about _him._

I flop down on the bed and fold my hands up under my head, _him._ Even now, seven months later, I am haunted by my past, a past that included _him._ I close my eyes and inhale deeply. As long as I live, I will always know that scent, the sandalwood cologne and cigarettes, sometimes mixed with the coconut shampoo. _Dammit! Get a grip Aki!_

One year ago today, on my 24th birthday, we had some amazing sex. I could get all hot and bothered just being in the room with him but when he touched me, used his mouth on me, _shit, it felt so good._

Without consciously thinking about it, my hand slips from behind my head and slides over my stomach and up over my chest underneath my shirt. I pretend it's him touching me. I rub my fingertips over my hard nipple as if it were his tongue and then pinch it just enough to send a spark of pain through my body just like it felt when he nipped at my nipple with his teeth.

"Ohhh," I moan softly.

My other hand slides down my stomach and under the waistband of my shorts. _Oh,_ the way his warm hand fisted my hard cock and the heat of his mouth wrapped around me while he gazed at me with such intense desire in his eyes left me unable to form words, let alone think any coherent thoughts.

I give into my delusions, unable to keep up the fight indulging in my fantasies. While stroking my aching cock, I bring my other hand to my mouth, coating two of my fingers with saliva before reaching behind my leg and sliding first one and then the other finger inside myself. My fingers are a poor comparison to _him, _to his huge thick cock that filled me deep and stretched me causing first the sharp pain that quickly transformed into mind-blowing, breath taking, pleasure.

Lost in my fantasy I choke out, "Oh, Asami," as I pump vigorously and fuck my ass as hard and fast as I possibly can. My body tingles, each nerve ending firing sensations that have my body writhing on the bed, panting in futile attempts to catch my breath. A sheen of sweat breaks out over my skin, faster…..harder….._Asami!_

My balls draw up and my cock pulses as my release squirts out of me. I don't stop but milk myself dry, just as he would have done, still pounding into my ass.

My sated, yet unsatisfied, state has me shaking my head. This is what I've been reduced to, masturbating to thoughts of _him._ _Seriously?_

I shake my head again to clear it but it's too late. _It _is coming, closing in on me in the wake of my empty pleasure, the nightmare. It's been seven months since the night he tore out my heart and stomped on it. Not that I am bitter or anything since I am over him. _I want to be over him!_

At least I have my Ambien to take before bed to keep the nightmares at bay. It's silly really, he didn't do all that much to me compared to other instances in my life like when that Pruett guy kidnapped and raped me. But then again, I was not in love with Pruett. I didn't trust Pruett. I trusted _him _and laid myself out there, open to him, but all he did was filet me open and gut me. _Dramatic much?_ I can't help it though…..it hurt. He hurt me, mentally more than physically, which is far worse in my opinion, though I still have a slight scar that runs from my shoulder to my hip.

Walking away on that dreadful night was one of the hardest things I ever did, but I had to. He left me no choice. Everything I thought we had came down to that night, the night the love left his eyes, replaced by ferocious rage. I thought that I meant more to him, _idiot!_ Granted, he never said those three little words, but he showed it often enough when he looked at me with warmth and pride.

I turn my head toward the window and stare out at the blue sky. Both of us, even though we are thousands of miles apart, are sharing that same sky. The thought makes the world seem smaller. He's out there. I can see him standing tall, confident in his Armani suit, with his hands in his pockets, leaning against the sleek black BMW looking at me, _no_, devouring me with his eyes. When he gave me that look, I completely melted into a pile of goo. _God, _he was gorgeous! But I was not enough for him, not by a long shot. What he needed, I could not give him, and I realized it that night, the night I turned my back on _us_ and walked away from _him._

If it hadn't been for this offer from the travel magazine, I don't know what I would have done. It was so hard to be in the same city with him and not look for him when I was out. Every BMW that passed me caused me to do a double take, just to see if it was _that _car, _his _car. Of course with the dark tinted windows I couldn't see into the cars and I found that not knowing was worse than actually seeing him. My two best friends even got irritated with me since I refused to go to the club. When breaking up with the owner of a business, I am sure there is a rule that states it's wise to stay out of your ex-lover's place of employment. Kou and Takato could not stay mad at me for long though, cause, well, they love me.

After a nap, I take a long hot shower, just standing under the rush of the water to clear my head. It's my birthday and I am going to have fun, _dammit!_ I am going out tonight and party with my colleagues. No more of this Asami bullshit!

I stare at my black pants and royal blue fitted dress shirt that I am not tucking in. I look hot. I smile in the mirror and think, _Asami; you don't know what you are missing, bastard._


	44. First Impressions 44

**I decided to give this story a nice ending for those who wanted it. I added the chapters here to complete this story rather than start a new one. I think it is time to put this one to rest. Thanks to all my readers who enjoyed this story and I hope you like the ending. Having a difficult time with traveling the U.S. from June to Aug, I have not had time to sit down and write so thanks for waiting. I also wasn't sure how to end this but here it is. My love to you all and thank you for being a part of this journey with me.**_  
_

_**Tessa**_

_I need to run, to get away from everything, especially Asami. How could he do this to me! I can't deal with him now so I need to get some space and time away from him. My body is sore and yet numb at the same time. My thighs burn and I can't catch my breath. I am gasping for air as I push myself further while the tears flood my cheeks. Keep running, but I am so tired I can't run anymore. How could this be happening?_

Takaba stops and bends over trying desperately to catch his breath. He looks around and realizes that he has run for several blocks, putting a great deal of space between he and Asami so he hails a cab. Takaba fidgets in the back of the taxi as the driver takes him to he and his father's house. The events of the last few hours replaying over and over again in his mind, no matter how hard he tries to block them out.

_It hurts, not just physically but mentally. _

Takaba had trusted Asami, thought they had made head way in their relationship over the past five months but apparently he had been terribly wrong. He was angry, hurt, sad, and relieved. All of Takaba's emotions were swirling like a tornado inside of him and he didn't know how to make it stop.

Sure, he had been warned about Asami's fetish with the BDSM lifestyle but since the older man hadn't done much to him in that regard aside from a light spanking and tying him up occasionally, Takaba had no idea just how brutal the sadistic bastard could be.

When Takaba first came into the dungeon room with his male lover, he had been nervous, the equipment and furniture, hell the entire room, had been downright intimidating. But he trusted Asami because although the older man did not actually say those three little words, his actions implied that he loved Takaba_._

_ Idiot!_

His apprehension grew with being bound and gagged but it was nothing compared to the beating his ass and back received from the man he had fallen in love with.

Asami had been filled with rage at his young criminal photographer for snooping around his office for evidence of the mafia's black market dealings that could have destroyed Asami's life. That, along with Takaba's growing frustration and mentioning the BDSM club, Red Lion that Asami frequented. It didn't matter to Takaba that Asami never had sex with any of his subs, that he merely beat them, _which they liked._

But he had gone too far tonight and had crossed the line as far as Takaba was concerned. The spanking with the riding crop hadn't been _that_ bad, the paddle was worse, but neither compared to the sting of the whip.

Even though Asami only grazed Takaba's back with one slash, it was enough to rattle him, nearly break him. Takaba shook his head, fighting against the memories of the tip of the whip searing his flesh, but the attempt to keep the tears unshed was futile. He had an inkling deep down that Asami was capable of such harsh, cruel punishments by what he had been told by Asami's ex-fiancée, Misha. But had never saw it first hand. During his time in that room, Takaba did not feel one iota of love from the man who stole his heart and shattered it.

_I need to get away. I can't see him, be anywhere near him right now. What do I do? Where do I go? Asami will come looking for me; it's not a question of if, but when? I need to act fast._

So much had happened in the past year with Asami becoming Takaba's bodyguard, then rescuing Takaba when that asshole, Pruett, kidnapped him to sell him into a human trafficking ring. Then finding out about Asami being engaged to that model, Misha, who hired someone to shoot Takaba to remove her competition. Misha, and Asami's masochist fuck toy, Kobi, both had inferred that Asami's BDSM fetish was quite dark, however they never told him the details so Takaba had put it to the back of his mind.

_Stupid._

Every time something tore them apart, they always seemed to find one another again but this time was different. He could not be with the older man if Asami could beat him like he had tonight without any remorse in those icy golden eyes.

_What if something else happens? What if he gets really angry again? Could he…..?_

No, Takaba would not allow himself to think of just how dark and cruel Asami could really be. If he ran away, at least he would be physically safe even though he was well aware that mentally, he was doomed to always secretly love the man.

Asami stood silently in the dungeon room of the Red Lion that had always served as a sanctuary in the past. But now? It made his stomach churn, the bile rising up into his throat, burning it.

He never once felt like he had cheated on Takaba since he didn't actually have sex with his subs, he just needed to exert his power and control over someone to get his mind back in balance. Twisted, as it may seem, it worked for him, always had, but not anymore.

In time, he knew that Takaba would have come to appreciate some of the furniture and toys that they could play with in the room that he fantasized about sharing with his young lover.

Asami walked around the room, his fingertips grazing some of the equipment. Takaba had looked so adorable bent over the spanking bench, bare ass in the air turning a bright red in contrast to the pale flesh. His fingertips lingered on the leather of the saddle on the huge horse statue. He imagined Takaba with his wrists tied to the horse's main and his ankles in the stirrup cuffs. In the center of the saddle was a dildo sticking straight up.

_ Oh to see Takaba riding that dildo, getting himself off while I straddle the saddle behind him toying with his nipples, stoking him to completion. Face flushed, eyes glazed over and dilated, mouth open as he panted and moaned would be the greatest display of beauty._

Asami smirked, just thinking about what they could do together in that room pushed most of his blood south, engorging his cock almost painfully.

That was never going to happen now. He knew how Takaba's mind worked, which meant the kid, would run. Though he wasn't sure of the lengths Takaba would go to in order to get away from him. Hopefully, he would not do anything that would put him in harms way.

Asami would have to keep an eye on him in order to keep him from getting into trouble. The kid had a knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time and Asami needed to be there just in case, whether Takaba hated him or not, he would not allow something bad to happen to the younger man.

Asami took one last look around the room knowing that it would be his last, _for a while at least,_ which only angered him more. That anger, however, was directed towards himself. He could not say for definite that he was willing to walk away from his fetish and _that_ made him feel weak.

Asami ran a hand thought his hair and headed towards the door. He masked his emotions, tramped them down deep, and walked out with confidence. Regardless of what just happened, he would not show weakness. As soon as he stepped out, his gaze locked with Kirishima, who was leaning against the BMW patiently waiting for his boss.

With a single finger, Kirishima slid his glasses up his nose, most likely trying to hide his disgusted expression from his boss, but failing. Asami, a master of observation and body language, saw it. No words were spoken as Kirishima opened the back door for Asami and closed it with more force than usual.

"To the club," Asami ordered sternly, not happy at all with Kirishima's lack of respect in his expression.

Kirishima nodded, but as they made their way through the streets of New York, the man kept glancing into the rear view mirror.

"If you have something to say…..just say it," Asami barked at his subordinate.

"No sir. I have _nothing_ to say."

That sentence alone said enough as Asami glared back at Kirishima, their eyes locking for an instant. Asami had been witness to the fact that Kirishima and Suoh had become fond of Takaba. Their light banter always amused him but Kirishima was not about to chastise his boss and lose his job no matter how rashly Asami had acted. Who was he kidding, Kirishima _would_ find a way to do so in due time.

Asami was actually surprised that, with the tension in the car being so thick, Kirishima hadn't drawn his gun and shot Asami right between the eyes. The looks he gave his boss definitely indicated that _that_ was precisely what he would like to do.

When they got to the club, Suoh was standing just outside near the door. He and Kirishima followed Asami inside but as Asami headed further into the building, his two men stood near the door giving one another looks. They had a way of doing that, like having a conversation with out speaking. It usually didn't annoy their boss, tonight it did, so he didn't bother addressing either one, just went to his office.

After a couple of hours, the two men started to worry since their boss had not called for them in any way.

"Think something is wrong?" Suoh asked Kirishima.

"Yeah, I do. I think the boss knows he fucked up bad this time _and _he knows that we know it too."

"We'd better go check on him."

They reached the office door but it was locked. They knocked first but when they got no response, Kirishima pulled out the key and unlocked the door.

At first glance, the office looked like a tornado had ripped it apart. Papers scattered everywhere, most of Asami's office supplies on the desk were littering the floor.

Asami stood at the window overlooking the club with a tumbler in one hand and a cigarette in the other. Kirishima and Suoh both noticed that the bottle of Jack lay empty on the floor.

"Boss?" Kirishima asked raising a curious brow.

"Worried about me, were you?" Asami glanced at them out of the corner of his glazed over eyes. Then he chuckled, "or did you have something you wanted to say to me?"

Kirishima straightened his back, squared his shoulders, and raised his chin, ready for battle.

"Like what?" Kirishima's tone low and even without the faintest hint of fear, "That you fucked up the best thing that ever happened to you? That you destroyed everything you had with Takaba? That you were a…..prick, sir? No, I would never cross the line by saying anything of the sort, _sir."_

Asami downed the tumbler in one shot, stumbled to turn in their direction, and flung the glass toward Kirishima. The man knocked it away as if it were a mere fly rather than heavy thick glass. It shattered against the wall but Asami stumbled again as he crushed out his cigarette and stalked closer to the man with the loose mouth, grabbing Kirishima by the lapels of his suit coat and shoving him up against the wall.

"I ought to shove my gun in your mouth and pull the trigger," Asami growled.

But the quick action had made his head spin out of control and he abruptly let go, stumbling back. Suoh caught him under one arm and Kirishima quickly grabbed the other. Then Suoh called Akira and had the car brought around to the back so they could get their boss out of the club without anyone seeing how drunk he really was.

Kirishima and Suoh exchanged looks in the car as they drove their boss to the penthouse, both of them agreeing silently, that until Takaba came back, they had their work cut out for them.

When they reached the building, they tried to help Asami out of the car but he growled and swatted their hands away.

"I can walk on my own."

Fortunately for them, he did so but upon entering the living room he headed straight for the liquor cabinet in his office.

Kirishima grabbed his arm but in defense, Asami whirled around and suddenly, the fight was on. Kirishima did his best to ward off Asami's sloppy drunk punches without injuring his boss too badly. Asami threw Kirishima to the floor, pounding on him. Of course the man could have subdued his drunken boss quickly if he really tried, he allowed Asami to vent his anger until Suoh, the six foot five gorilla, yanked Asami off of his colleague and threw _him_ to the floor, straddling him and pinning his arms down.

"What the _fuck_ do you think you are doing," Asami growled?

"Saving you from yourself," Suoh snapped. Then he hauled Asami up by his shirt and practically dragged him to the bedroom, which was no easy feat with Asami's sheer size and strength, throwing the older man down on the bed. He retrieved Asami's gun into his possession.

"Go to sleep," Suoh ordered and turned to leave.

The last thing Asami saw before passing out was Suoh and Kirishima, who was holding a handkerchief to his bloody nose, walking out the door, closing it behind them.


	45. First Impressions 45

**May 5: Takaba Akihito's POV**

The incessant ringing of the loud and very annoying alarm clock application on my phone had me scrambling to reach it on the nightstand to turn the blaring thing off. There is one thing I loathed above all else, mornings. Having to wake up and get out of bed when I was comfortable and cozy is the worst. What I want to do is pull the covers over my head and sleep for another couple of hours but if I did that, my bladder would explode and I would be late for work. So I force my eyelids to open and adjust my eyes to the light shining in the window of my hotel room.

I get out of bed, trip on my shoe, and fall flat on my face. Lying here on the floor I have to wonder if this is any indication of what my day is going to be like, _Really?_ Resolved to my fate, I get up and sprint to the bathroom, practically moaning at the relief I feel as I empty my bladder. Then I brush my teeth and head back into the bedroom to get dressed for work.

I am leery of meeting with my colleagues today because over the past couple of days they have whispered to each other _a lot._ They all know my birthday is today so I need to be ready for anything.

After slipping on my board shorts and a tank top, I pause to look out my window at the gulf. It is breathtaking. But it's not just the gulf, it's everything about this paradise. Of course I know my colleagues were not as impressed with the hotel that I chose but I thought it was cool. Using the travel magazine's money, we could have been put up in a more expensive hotel closer to the thriving part of this amazing city but I chose this one and, hey, I am in charge so they can kiss my peachy round ass.

Dubai, one of the seven United Arab Emirates, has everything to offer and even though we are clear out on the palm staying at the Atlantis hotel, a taxi or the metro can take us anywhere we want to go. The hotel itself has a cool adventure park, pool, restaurants, shopping, and nightclubs that we are taking advantage of but I know they all want to explore the city too. Together, we compiled a list of places to go: Irish Village, Barasti's, and Rock Bottom (for karaoke). That is, aside from the malls that our one lone woman wants to go to.

We took a safari into the desert last night which was awesome and scary when the drivers take their Toyota Land Cruisers over the huge dunes and we felt like we were free falling, but the food was great, the show with the dancers was great too, and I even tried a Shisha pipe. Yeah, that was a one-time thing I decided after coughing up a lung. Taj, having lived here for a several years, insisted that we all try it; mint flavor is his favorite, _bleh_. There are a few people who don't normally smoke but like the shisha, well, they can have it, not me, _never_ again.

I grab my backpack and head down to the buffet restaurant to meet the crew. Taj and Amy are already there, sitting outside, _in this heat? Really?_ Taj smokes and likes to sit outside so he can indulge, _whatever._ Cody brings up the rear, following me into the restaurant and out to our table.

"So today is the shoot at the marina, the promenade." I remind them. "But tomorrow, Amy, you get your wish since we are doing the mall shoot, both Mall of the Emirates and Dubai mall."

"Yeah," she squeals in delight.

The three of us guys simply stare at her like she has suddenly sprouted three heads. Why girls find malls so fascinating is beyond us. Women are an enigma that we will never understand.

"What about tonight?" Cody pipes up glancing around the table.

"I think it's only fitting that we go do some karaoke tonight," Taj says and puts his hand on my shoulder, "In honor of Aki's birthday.

"Ugh," I groan.

Since leaving in November, we have travelled all over, starting in the U.S., then Europe, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, and here. Why I ever got up on that first stage and sang in front of them is a question I can't answer. _Well_…..the enormous amount of alcohol I drank that night might have had something to do with it.

I rub the back of my neck nervously, "We can do anything. It doesn't have to be karaoke," I explain but I can see the sparkle in their eyes; they want me to sing.

As I eat my yogurt and granola, Cody eyes me suspiciously.

"What?" I shrug.

He shakes his head, "Man, that is not breakfast. That is what women eat when they are dieting."

"Hey, I like it," I argue.

I can tell by his expression and the glance to Amy what they are thinking but won't say out loud. They think I'm, you know, into guys. _Not guys, plural, just one. Stop Aki, stop right there!_

They haven't asked me outright but it is obvious that they _want_ to. Let them wonder, I shrug to myself. Unlike Cody who finds a woman in every city we go to, I prefer to focus on work. At least that is my excuse. Unfortunately, Taj is married and Amy is too so Cody is constantly badgering me to go with him on _the prowl._ I admit that I do like the occasional Boy's Love Magazine but I like to look at women too. Well, being bi _is_ more socially accepted than being, you know….._enough Aki!_

"So," I say standing up and grabbing my backpack, "Rock Bottom tonight then," I make the decision and we head out to the shoot.

It is so hot that we finish early, by 3pm, and head back to the hotel before meeting up for dinner. The shoot went well. We got some great shots of the marina for the magazine spread. I haven't felt this good about my career as a photographer since…..well….._don't think about it, just don't think about it._

Too late! I remember sitting on the couch and watching the media have a field day grinding Senator Bradford into mulch after my photos of him having sex with an underage boy were revealed. The 'family man with good Christian values' went down in flames. That felt good! Okay, if I don't stop reminiscing, I will start to think about _him._

I flop down on the bed and fold my hands up under my head, _him._ Even now, seven months later, I am haunted by my past, a past that included _him._ I close my eyes and inhale deeply. As long as I live, I will always know that scent, the sandalwood cologne and cigarettes, sometimes mixed with the coconut shampoo. _Dammit! Get a grip Aki!_

One year ago today, on my 24th birthday, we had some amazing sex. I could get all hot and bothered just being in the room with him but when he touched me, used his mouth on me, _shit, it felt so good._

Without consciously thinking about it, my hand slips from behind my head and slides over my stomach and up over my chest underneath my shirt. I pretend it's him touching me. I rub my fingertips over my hard nipple as if it were his tongue and then pinch it just enough to send a spark of pain through my body just like it felt when he nipped at my nipple with his teeth.

"Ohhh," I moan softly.

My other hand slides down my stomach and under the waistband of my shorts. _Oh,_ the way his warm hand fisted my hard cock and the heat of his mouth wrapped around me while he gazed at me with such intense desire in his eyes left me unable to form words, let alone think any coherent thoughts.

I give into my delusions, unable to keep up the fight, indulging in my fantasies. While stroking my aching cock, I bring my other hand to my mouth, coating two of my fingers with saliva before reaching behind my leg and sliding first one and then the other finger inside myself. My fingers are a poor comparison to _him, _to his huge thick cock that filled me deep and stretched me causing first the sharp pain that quickly transformed into mind-blowing, breath-taking, pleasure.

Lost in my fantasy I choke out, "Oh, Asami," as I pump vigorously and fuck my ass as hard and fast as I possibly can. My body tingles, each nerve ending firing sensations that have my body writhing on the bed, panting in futile attempts to catch my breath. A sheen of sweat breaks out over my skin, faster…..harder….._Asami!_

My balls draw up and my cock pulses as my release squirts out of me. I don't stop but milk myself dry, just as he would have done, still pounding into my ass.

My sated, yet unsatisfied, state has me shaking my head. This is what I've been reduced to, masturbating to thoughts of _him._ _Seriously?_

I shake my head again to clear it but it's too late. _It _is coming, closing in on me in the wake of my empty pleasure, the nightmare. It's been seven months since the night he tore out my heart and stomped on it. Not that I am bitter or anything since I am over him. _I want to be over him!_

At least I have my Ambien to take before bed to keep the nightmares at bay. It's silly really, he didn't do all that much to me compared to other instances in my life like when that Pruett guy kidnapped and raped me. But then again, I was not in love with Pruett. I didn't trust Pruett. I trusted _him _and laid myself out there, open to him, but all he did was filet me open and gut me. _Dramatic much?_ I can't help it though…..it hurt. He hurt me, mentally more than physically, which is far worse in my opinion, though I still have a slight scar that runs from my shoulder to my hip.

Walking away on that dreadful night was one of the hardest things I ever did, but I had to. He left me no choice. Everything I thought we had come down to that night, the night the love left his eyes, replaced by ferocious rage. I thought that I meant more to him, _idiot!_ Granted, he never said those three little words, but he showed it often enough when he looked at me with warmth and pride.

I turn my head toward the window and stare out at the blue sky. Both of us, even though we are thousands of miles apart, are sharing that same sky. The thought makes the world seem smaller. He's out there. I can see him standing tall, confident in his Armani suit, with his hands in his pockets, leaning against the sleek black BMW looking at me, _no_, devouring me with his eyes. When he gave me that look, I completely melted into a pile of goo. _God, _he was gorgeous! But I was not enough for him, not by a long shot. What he needed, I could not give him, and I realized it that night, the night I turned my back on _us_ and walked away from _him._

If it hadn't been for this offer from the travel magazine, I don't know what I would have done. It was so hard to be in the same city with him and not look for him when I was out. Every BMW that passed me caused me to do a double take, just to see if it was _that _car, _his _car. Of course with the dark tinted windows I couldn't see into the cars and I found that not knowing was worse than actually seeing him. My two best friends even got irritated with me since I refused to go to the club. When breaking up with the owner of a business, I am sure there is a rule that states it's wise to stay out of your ex-lover's place of employment. Kou and Takato could not stay mad at me for long though, cause, well, they love me.

After a nap, I take a long hot shower, just standing under the rush of the water to clear my head. It's my birthday and I am going to have fun, _dammit!_ I am going out tonight and party with my colleagues. No more of this Asami bullshit!

I stare at my black pants and royal blue fitted dress shirt that I am not tucking in. I look hot. I smile in the mirror and think, _Asami; you don't know what you are missing, bastard._


	46. First Impressions 46

Rock Bottom is quite a mix of people ranging from twenty-somethings to men and women in their fifties. The draw of the microphone brings out all sorts of people who wanted to try their luck at singing. Of course, some were absolutely horrible while others received standing ovations. Contrary to my colleagues' encouraging that I get up on stage, I remain rooted to my chair at our table.

Here it was my birthday and I was just sitting at the table watching them beat up the dance floor while some older woman tried and epically failed, at singing a Katy Perry song. I cringe when she hits a wrong note but dutifully carries on.

_Ugh, would someone _please_ remove her from the stage!_

Luckily, karaoke is only till 10:30pm, then the DJ will play dance songs the rest of the night. Taj, Amy, and Cody come over to the table carrying shots and Cody hands me one. I shake my head.

_No way am I doing it. _

Hard liquor and I do not get along. On more than one occasion, Cody has razzed me about the fact that I am a lightweight.

"Come on, Aki, it's your birthday." Cody yells over the music and shoves the shot at me.

I roll my eyes and, against my better judgement, take the small glass. But that is only the beginning, and after three more, I am feeling quite numb.

_At least that is better than the pain I constantly live with._

The fast techno beat of the DJ's music selection booms through the speakers and my three colleagues are off again to the dance floor. This time however, I follow.

I let the music seep through my skin, my tortured mind, and allow myself to forget, just for a while, about _him._

With the types of songs the DJ is playing I lose myself completely, my body flows with the beat. That is why I suddenly stop and open my eyes when the next song starts. It is not the stuff he had been playing. It isn't bad, it's just not as upbeat, Kelly Clarkson's Dark Side.

Why I get goose bumps and feel strangely uncomfortable as the song starts is beyond me, other than the obvious fact that the words hit me hard, until I glance toward the back wall of the bar and my eyes lock with those beautiful golden ones, the ones from my nightmare.

_Asami…._

_Oh oh oh, there's a place that I know_

_It's not pretty there and few have ever gone_

_If I show it to you now_

_Will it make you run away?_

_Or will you stay_

_Even if it hurts_

_Even if I try to push you out_

_Will you return?_

_And remind me who I really an_

_Please remind me who I really am_

_Everybody's got a dark side_

_Do you love me?_

_Can you love mine?_

_Nobody's a picture perfect_

_But we're worth it_

_You know that we're worth it_

_Will you love me?_

_Even with my dark side?_

_Like a diamond_

_From black dust_

_It's hard to know_

_What can become_

_If you give up_

_So don't give up on me_

_Please remind me who I really am_

_Everybody's got a dark side_

_Do you love me?_

_Can you love mine?_

_Nobody's a picture perfect_

_But we're worth it_

_You know that we're worth it_

_Will you love me?_

_Even with my dark side?_

_Don't run away_

_Don't run away_

_Just tell me that you will stay_

_Promise me you will stay_

_Don't run away_

_Don't run away_

_Just promise me you will stay_

_Promise me you will stay_

_Will you love me? Ohh_

_Everybody's got a dark side_

_Do you love me?_

_Can you love mine?_

_Nobody's a picture perfect_

_But we're worth it_

_You know that we're worth it_

_Will you love me?_

_Even with my dark side?_

_Don't run away_

_Don't run away_

_Don't run away_

_Promise you'll stay….._

The chorus slams into me, like someone punching my chest as hard as they can. I wonder if I really see him standing before me or if it is just my mind playing tricks on me? Not a hair out of place on that silky chestnut hair, not a wrinkle on the fine three piece suit as our eyes remain locked on one another.

He steps closer when the chorus starts and for the first time ever in his life, I imagine, he looks away, almost ashamed, at the words to the song swirling around us.

As Kelly sings the chorus the second time, he closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, opening them and affixing them to mine when she sings…_But we're worth it you know that we're worth it…_

My mind is spinning, the song, his suddenly pained expression, and his steps closer…..and closer…..

He gets to me just as the song ends and in a low even voice says, "Don't run away," while shaking his head.

My mouth is gaping open like a fish as I stare up at him, only an inch from me. If anyone around us notices what is going on, they don't make it obvious. I wouldn't care anyway. I drink in the sight of him really being here in front of me, close to me. I can see him, smell him, almost taste him.

_God, I have missed him!_

"We'll make it work, somehow, some way, we _will _make it work." He reassures me while I still cannot get my brain and mouth to work together to make even a sound.

"You are absolutely worth it. Can you…..Can you love me?"

Asami's jaw is clenched, muscles tight and bulging under the fabric of his suit, but his eyes are smoldering. For him to ask that, to humble himself like that, tears at my heart. The man who saved my life, my lover, would never ever beg for forgiveness from anyone, not _the Asami Ryuichi._ Realization hit me, he broke me that night…..but I broke him too.

Having him so close, feeling his body heat already had my pulse quickening and my breathing labored. Every touch floods my memory and I want to wrap my arms around his neck and pull his lips to mine, but it don't, not here, not now.

His brow furrows and his eyes narrow as he sees the apprehension on my face but I lift my chin defiantly, desperately trying not to break down right here in the middle of the bar with people all around me.

"Come on," I motion to him by tilting my head and he follows.

Outside, right in front of the bar is a limo, waiting.

"Yours?"

"Yes."

I head for it and get in leaving the door open. Once he slides in and closes it, he uses the intercom and tells the driver, Kirishima, to drive around.

In the cramped dark space, I can see and feel his eyes looking me over, raking over my body with awe in them like a child seeing a present on Christmas morning, just before opening it.

I turn my head, my gaze, away toward the dark window. I am not sure how I feel just yet. Seeing Asami after all this time is wonderful and scary at the same time. After all, he did beat me. It may have been several months ago but the wound never healed, it just festered. Did he think it all had just gone away, that time made it any less worse?

"Takaba," he whispered, pulling me to sit next to him on the seat, closing the distance between us.

"Don't," I say with a shaky breath, but move to sit next to him anyway.

I am stunned at first by his movements but can only watch while he slides off the seat, loosens his tie, and kneels on the floor between my legs. He wraps his arms around my waist and buries his head in my stomach, holding me. Inadvertently, my hands slip around his head.

He raises his head and his piercing gold eyes lock with my confused ones, "I'm sorry."

If even one horn had sounded while he spoke those words, I would never have heard him. Then, without waiting for my response, he sits up and puts one hand behind my neck, pulling my ear to his lips.

"Don't give up on me," he breathes, "You know me, _all_ of me, even my dark side."

"I know," I return unable to keep the sarcasm from my tone, "That's what scares me."

I know he can feel my body trembling as he continues holding me in place.

"What happened before…..it will never happen again. _Ohh,"_ he groans, "I want to take you back to that room but not to hurt you. Just to share that pleasure with you."

I close my eyes while he speaks, his husky voice sending shivers clear down to my toes. I can feel my body already responding to him.

"Asami," I breathe as he places his lips just below my ear.

I have never been able to resist him, his touch. I tilt my head as he continues to kiss along my neck, one hand reaching up over my shirt to caress my nipple.

_What am I doing? I missed this so much I don't want him to stop and yet, I don't know if I can handle it?_

I fist the front of his jacket not sure if I want to pull him to me or away from me. It doesn't deter him though as his hands come up to unbutton my shirt so he can move his lips across my collar-bone and down to my chest.

All I can hear in the back of the limo is our panting breaths and the thudding of my racing heart beat.

"Come back to me," he breathes between kisses and then pulls back to look into my confused eyes, "I will _NEVER_ hurt you like that again. I swear."

His voice has an edge to it and his expression is deadly serious and I can see the torment, the pain he has gone through. I want to believe him, so badly it hurts, but I just don't know.

"Come back to me," he repeats as his lips wrap around my, now exposed, nipple. "Come back to me."

He continues to unfasten my shirt until he opens it wide, noting how tense my body still is. His lips, his tongue, leave a wet trail across my stomach.

"Come back to me."

I gaze down at Asami just as he looks up at me, his mouth closes over the bulging fabric of my pants.

"Come back to me."

Unfortunately, I could never hide how I felt and I know he can see my own pain and suffering clearly printed on my face like a neon sign brightly shining back at him.

"Tell me you want me," he growls low from his throat.

As the tears sting my eyes, I know I cannot lie, "Yes," I whisper.

Immediately, he climbs up and presses me into the seat as his lips descend upon mine. All the love I locked away is still there threatening to burst free from the hard demanding kiss and I snap.

Suddenly, frantic hands are removing clothes, both his and mine in our rush, our _need_ for each other. I start directly with his pants and as soon as I kick off my shoes he pushes my pants off of me, he switches our positions so I am straddling him.

I glance down, knowing exactly how wonderful it would feel to have him inside me again. I fist his shirt, only managing to get his jacket off earlier while his hands roam over my hips, up my chest, and finally stop at my face.

Forcing me to look at him, he says, "Do it Takaba, put me inside you. It's your decision. Can you love me?"

Several seconds pass as we stare silently at each other. Then…..just when he is about to say something I take hold of his massive length and raise up on my knees. His eyes grow wide with anticipation and _hope?_

I sink down on top of him with a grimace and cry of pain as he stretches me. He leans toward me showering my chest and neck with kisses and licks while one hand closes around my throbbing cock. It takes me a minute to adjust to being filled so completely by him but the pain subsides and I start to slowly move.

Our eyes never waver from each other as the heat quickly builds. I had been too long for either of us so we could not go slow, no, we were pawing at each other while I rode him hard. Sweat dampened my skin and his shirt as we moved faster and faster.

"Ah, Asami," I moan, a pained expression on my face. I can't hold back! I want him! I need him!

Asami feels it too and strokes faster, pumping me furiously until I squirt like a freaking geyser with no end in sight. My body convulses as he milks me dry and I tense around his cock.

"Ahhh!" I scream.

He takes over, grabbing my hips so tightly that I know I will have bruises tomorrow, and impales me on his cock hard and fast.

With a drawn out grunt, he comes, holding me down on him all the way to the hilt as I feel his hot cum fill me.

Before I can do or say anything, Asami grabs my head and pulls my lips to his. Both of us trying to catch our breaths through the raw, almost violent, kiss.

Asami breaks the kiss, pulling me down on top of him, my head turned in on his shoulder.

"A…..Asami?"

"Yes?"

"I'm still scared that you might…..that you might….."

"No!" He tightens his arms around me, "I will never hurt you like that again."

I lean up to look into his smoldering eyes, knowing that he is not angry with me, but himself, for what he did.

"Do you love me?" he asks.

"Well obviously, you dense bastard," I say with sarcastically and roll my eyes.

He chuckles, that glorious sound just like I remember it. Then he pulls me back to him and I feel his breath in my hair as he softly says, "Takaba Akihito, I love you….too."


End file.
